Prime Minister commissions new Strategic Defence Review

17 Jul 2024 04:07 PM

The Strategic Defence Review will be overseen by the Defence Secretary John Healey, and headed by Lord Robertson, reporting in the first half of 2025.

The review follows the recent NATO Summit in Washington DC where the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government's commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on Defence and to the Alliance. The review will begin immediately and will involve a broad consultation process, including serving military personnel, MPs, industry and academia. The review will be headed up by three external reviewers, supported by a Defence Review Team of senior high level experts from inside and outside Government. The external reviewers are:

• Lord Robertson - Former Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General (Review lead)
• Dr Fiona Hill CMG - Foreign policy expert and former US presidential advisor
• General Sir Richard Barrons – Former Commander Joint Forces Command and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff

The Strategic Defence Review will seek to:

• Put personnel across Defence at the heart of future Defence work.
• Ensure that the UK continues to lead in NATO.
• Strengthen UK homeland security.
• Bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. 
• Modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent.
• Adapt military services and equipment programmes to meet requirements.
• Help drive the guiding principle of One Defence

Submissions will be invited until the end of September from serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, industry, the general public, academics, Parliament, and the UK's allies and partners. 

Responding to the announcement of the review, techUK's Associate Director for Defence & National Security Fred Sugden said:

“techUK welcomes the Government’s announcement to hold a Strategic Defence Review. We appreciate the opportunity to inform and contribute to the Review on behalf of our members, and will be working hard to ensure the digital and technology industry’s views are fully considered throughout the process. We look forward to working with our members and colleagues in government to champion the important role the Defence technology industry plays in underpinning the UK’s national security and economic prosperity”

You can read the full press release on the announcement of the review here.