United Kingdom to boost defense spending by £15 billion

Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a £15 billion increase in the United Kingdom’s defence budget, targeting annual spending of about £80 billion by 2029 and a share of 3.5 % of GDP by 2035. The plan allocates roughly £5 billion for drones, autonomous weapons and artificial‑intelligence systems, funds the construction of six new warships, creates a hybrid naval force, strengthens the nuclear deterrent and accelerates development of a next‑generation Tempest fighter for the Royal Air Force. Starmer said the investment will generate around 6,000 jobs in the defence and industrial sectors. The package will be presented at the NATO summit in Ankara on 7–8 July. Critics note the programme was delayed by more than nine months and argue the extra funding may still fall short of the armed forces’ modernisation needs.