New defence secretary wins another £1.5bn to boost drone spending
Summary
The UK’s new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, has secured an extra £1.5 billion to fund the country’s defence investment plan, mainly to increase spending on drones. This additional money will help close a major funding gap and supports projects aimed at deterring threats from Russia and Iran.Key Facts
- Dan Jarvis persuaded Chancellor Rachel Reeves to provide more than the previously promised £13.5 billion.
- The defence budget gap was reduced by £15 billion after negotiations.
- Drone spending will increase from £4 billion to £5 billion over the next four years.
- Some of the extra funds came from cuts of at least 1% in other government departments’ capital budgets.
- The plan includes buying uncrewed speedboats to help detect hostile drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The defence investment plan covers many projects, including frigates and nuclear submarines.
- The UK aims to spend 3.5% of its GDP on defence by 2035, up from the current 2.6%.
- The plan is expected to create jobs and support British defence suppliers.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.