Details of Starmer’s military plan revealed as Army to be ‘10X more lethal’: Live

The strategic defence review will mark an end to an era of “hollowing out” of the armed forces, MPs were told.

Rounding off his statement to the Commons, defence secretary John Healey said: “This SDR is the first defence review in a generation for growth and for transformation in UK defence.

“It will end 14 years of hollowing out in our armed forces, and instead we will see investment increased, the navy expanded, the army grown, the air force upgraded, war fighting readiness restored, Nato strengthened, the nuclear deterrent guaranteed, advance technology developed and jobs, jobs created in every nation and region of this country.

“The Strategic Defence Review will make Britain safer, more secure at home, and stronger abroad.”

The government is aiming to be the first in a “generation” to see the number of soldiers in the British Army to increase, John Healey said.

The Defence Secretary said there would be a renewed focus on recruitment to stop the long-term decline in numbers.

Mr Healey said: “For too long our army has been asked to do more with less. We inherited a long-run recruitment crisis, 14 Tory years of cuts to full-time troops.

“Reversing this decline will take time, but we are acting to stem the loss now and aiming to increase the British Army to at least 76,000 full time soldiers in the next Parliament.

“For the first time in a generation, we are a Government who want the number of regular soldiers to rise.”

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

In the foreword to the review, the defence secretary John Healey writes: “Whoever gets new technology into the hands of their Armed Forces the quickest will win

Ministers have already announced plans for up to six new munition factories, up to 12 new nuclear attack submarines, £15bn of investment in the nuclear warhead programme, 7,000 UK-built long range weapons.

At the weekend Mr Healey appeared to confirm he wants to purchase fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons, a major step up which would signal the UK recognised the world had entered a more dangerous era.

The report also calls for greater use of AI as well as a new ‘Digital Warfighter Group’ which is recommends should not be held back by constraints on how much it can pay its staff, calling for “appropriate recruitment and pay freedoms”.

The SDSR also says at least ten per cent of the MOD equipment procurement budget should be spent on new technologies every year.

It urges ministers to remove red tape and other barriers to collaboration with industry partners.

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

One of the themes of the defence review is to make Britain war-ready.

This includes protecting critical infrastructure in the event of a crisis.

The SDSR calls for a new Defence Readiness Bill – which would give ministers powers to “respond effectively” in the event of an escalating conflict.

Already ministers have announced they will respond to the call for “always on munitions” by building up to six factories.

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

The review praises as “good news” the government’s “ambition” to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence “if economic and fiscal conditions allow”.

But the report’s authors do add: “However, as we live in such turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”.

It is understood that the report, and, crucially its recommendations, were written with the assumption that ministers would meet the 3 per cent target by the stated date of 2034

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

The government has announced it will implement all 62 of the new strategic defence review’s recommendations in full – but there will be a number of “immediate” steps. These include:

Create a British Army that is “10X more lethal” with more people, long-range missiles and “land-drone swarms” £15bn on new nuclear warheads to secure the future of the nuclear deterrent Up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines New autonomous vessels ‘to patrol the North Atlantic and beyond’ Creating a “next generation” RAF with F-35s, upgraded Typhoons, next generation fast jets and “autonomous fighters” £1bn on a homeland air and missile defence system and new cyber command Use defence spending to drive economic growth £400m defence innovation fund

John Healey has said the the UK is entering a “new era of defence”.

As he unveiled the government’s new defence measures the defence secretary told the Commons: “We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era of UK defence”.

The defence secretary has warned the UK faces the most serious threat since the end of the Cold War.

John Healey told the Commons: “The threat we face is now more serious and less predictable than at any time since the end of the Cold War.”