Streeting met U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for talks on defence production, supply chains and Europe’s responsibilities within NATO. Both officials emphasised cooperation between allied industries as their countries rebuild military capacity.
Streeting said Britain was undertaking its biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. He argued that the additional funding must support the right technologies and bring them into military use more quickly.
“But to your point, it’s not just about investing more; it’s about investing in the right things and making sure that we’re pushing the frontier of defense innovation and translating that innovation into capability a lot more quickly,” Streeting said. He also called for a stronger British defence industrial base.
Hegseth said rebuilding U.S. military production required contributions from allies and partners. He stressed the importance of dependable supply chains and said Britain was actively pursuing that objective.
“We talk about an arsenal of freedom here in the States, [about] building that and ensuring that our domestic manufacturing, our industry, our production lines, [are] made in America [at] speed, scale, [and] made with partners,” Hegseth said. His remarks linked the expansion of American manufacturing with cooperation overseas.
Hegseth raised “NATO 3.0”, a proposed rebalancing under which European countries would take primary responsibility for their conventional defence. That would allow the United States to reduce its troop presence in Europe and focus more on other regions, including the Pacific.
Streeting agreed that European NATO members needed to become more self-reliant. He said Britain was stepping up willingly and credited President Donald Trump with pressing Europe to take its defence more seriously.
The officials also stressed the continuing importance of the U.S.-UK alliance. Hegseth said the relationship needed to remain active in addressing current threats rather than rest on its history.
Hegseth thanked Streeting for communications about recent threats to U.S. forces in the UK. These included a suspected Iran-backed terror plot and a security incident at RAF Fairford in September that prompted American bombers to return to the United States.
The meeting was Streeting’s first visit to Washington since taking office in July. He said Britain and the United States would not stand aside from the security challenges facing them.
“It’s fair to say, at this stage, it’s not clear whether freedom or tyranny will define the 21st century,” Streeting said. “What is clear is that the United Kingdom and the United States will not be bystanders in that struggle, and we’re determined to see freedom prevail.”
