The investment was announced by the Prime Minister as part of a wider plan to accelerate the use of drones and autonomous systems across the Armed Forces. The Government said the plan is intended to keep the UK at the leading edge of defence innovation and protect the country for years to come.
The Ministry of Defence said conflicts in Ukraine and Iran show how drones are rapidly reshaping warfare. It said cheap systems are destroying high-value targets and innovation cycles are now measured in weeks rather than years.
According to the ministry, Ukraine uses roughly 200,000 drones a month to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. It also said that at the height of the Iran conflict, 700 offensive drones were being launched per day.
The £5 billion investment will support a flexible and integrated force across land, sea and air. The ministry said this will include attack drones flying alongside Army helicopters, RAF jets supported by drones to avoid enemy detection, and a hybrid Royal Navy combining crewed and uncrewed vessels.
The funding will also support Europe’s biggest drone testing centre, the Uncrewed Systems Centre, which opened earlier this month in Swindon. A new Uncrewed Systems Taskforce will work with industry to rapidly develop and field autonomous capabilities.
The ministry said the approach is intended to help the UK scale production continuously. It is also intended to put the latest drone systems into the hands of the Armed Forces to protect the UK and its allies.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This game-changing investment will strengthen our Armed Forces on land, at sea and in the air, ensuring our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe. At the same time, we are backing British innovation, British industry and British jobs and delivering opportunity to every corner of the country.”
He added: “Today’s Defence Investment Plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future.” The Government said the plan will set out how it intends to go further and faster on defence spending.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said: “Our Armed Forces are serving at an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable time. We are determined to give them what they need as they serve with courage and exceptional skill to keep us safe.”
He added: “The character of warfare is rapidly changing. In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts.”
Jarvis also said: “This largest ever UK investment into these evolving technologies will help our Armed Forces stay ahead of our adversaries, backed by the best of our defence industry. We are giving our extraordinary people the equipment they need to fight and win.”
The Ministry of Defence said the Defence Secretary has spent the last two weeks refocusing the Defence Investment Plan. The revised focus prioritises getting the latest equipment into the hands of military personnel, including the UK’s elite Commandos.
Royal Marine Commandos will receive new high-speed boats and the latest drone and autonomous technology. The plan also includes at least six new warships for the Royal Navy to deliver advanced maritime air defence capability and sustain British shipyard work for decades.
The Royal Navy will continue its transformation into a Hybrid Navy combining autonomous vessels, artificial intelligence, warships and aircraft. Planned systems include Type 91 uncrewed missile platforms, Type 92 underwater sensing platforms, Type 93 extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels and Type 94 uncrewed sensing platforms for air threat detection.
In the 2030s, the UK plans to expand the number of these platforms and bring at least six Common Combat Vessels into service. The ministry said these vessels will act as the brain of a networked maritime air defence system.
Project PANTHEON will support development of a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing. This includes trialling jet-powered drones to work alongside the UK’s F-35B force.
The British Army will receive major investment in inexpensive expendable autonomous systems and loitering munitions. The Army’s RAPSTONE programme will receive a £50 million boost over the next 12 months to fund additional first-person view and interceptor drones.
The Army will also launch a programme to develop and produce uncrewed ground vehicles and associated mission systems through UK industry. Project NYX aims to have up to 24 autonomous armed drones operational by 2030, flying alongside upgraded Apache helicopters for reconnaissance, precision strikes and electronic warfare.
Project Corvus will provide up to 24 surveillance drones to replace the Watchkeeper system. These aircraft will carry out intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions.
The Royal Air Force will invest in a new national Collaborative Combat Air programme. The programme will develop autonomous fighter aircraft to fly alongside crewed jets, with a demonstrator flying by at least 2030.
The RAF will also bring the Storm Shroud uncrewed electronic warfare drone into service this year. The ministry said this forms part of a wider move to integrate uncrewed systems into future air operations.
The Defence Investment Plan is intended to deliver the vision set out in the Strategic Defence Review. The ministry said it will place defence on a stronger and more sustainable footing.
The plan will prioritise sovereign British artificial intelligence and autonomous technology. It will draw on the UK’s research base, support collaboration with key allies and position Britain to export advanced defence capabilities internationally.
