British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced sweeping defence reforms including the construction of 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines and six new ammunition factories, part of a broader effort to restore the UK’s military strength in response to rising global threats.
The reforms are outlined in a Strategic Defence Review led by former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson and former White House Russia adviser Fiona Hill. The review makes 62 recommendations, all accepted by the government, aimed at shifting the Armed Forces into a state of “warfighting readiness.”
“When we are directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready—and to show them we’re ready,” Starmer said during a visit to BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Glasgow. He described the review as “a blueprint to make Britain safer and stronger… equipped for the decades to come.”
The centrepiece of the plan is the construction of 12 conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact with the United States and Australia. One vessel will be delivered every 18 months, with the entire fleet expected online by the late 2030s.
Alongside the submarine programme, the government announced a £15 billion investment in Britain’s nuclear warhead systems and the procurement of up to 7,000 domestically produced long-range weapons. A further £1.5 billion will fund the development of at least six munitions and energetics factories—one of which will operate continuously to support potential high-intensity conflicts.
The review also calls for enhanced digital resilience, including the creation of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command (CyberEM Command) backed by £1 billion in funding. The UK military has faced over 90,000 cyber incidents in the last two years, highlighting the urgency of cyber readiness.
To improve conditions for service personnel, the government will allocate £1.5 billion to repair and upgrade military housing.
These investments support the UK’s broader goal of increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and potentially 3% during the next parliament—up from the current 2.3%. The move comes amid pressure from allies, including the United States, to boost European defence capabilities. NATO members are expected to discuss a new spending target—potentially as high as 5% of GDP—at a summit in The Hague later this month, with 3.5% earmarked for direct military spending.
While Starmer’s commitment falls short of NATO’s proposed 3.5% military spending benchmark, he insisted Britain’s efforts would significantly bolster the alliance. “Everything we do will add to the strength of NATO,” he said. “The transformation we’re driving must amount to Britain’s biggest contribution to NATO since its creation.”
Despite post-Cold War downsizing, Britain remains a key NATO power. However, its active-duty army—at 70,860 troops—is now at its smallest size since the Napoleonic era. Starmer pledged to reverse this trend, saying, “The moment has arrived to transform how we defend ourselves.”
The UK will co-chair a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on Wednesday, alongside the US, to coordinate continued military support for Kiev in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.