Britain is finally rebuilding its defences after years of relative underinvestment. Under the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a longer-term ambition of reaching 3% in the next Parliament. This marks the biggest sustained increase since the Cold War and reflects a sober recognition that the global security environment has grown more hostile.
But increasing the budget is only the starting point. What matters now is whether this money is directed into the right capabilities. A larger defence budget does not automatically make Britain safer; capability depends on where every pound is spent and how effectively it is turned into operational power.
SDR 2025 signals a shift toward a modernised ‘hybrid’ force – traditional platforms backed by advanced technology. This makes strategic sense. Britain’s carrier strike group, the Astute-class submarine fleet, and its air power remain vital to NATO deterrence and to protecting maritime routes. They give the UK both reach and credibility. Yet the security landscape has changed. Cyber intrusions, drone warfare, long-range precision missiles and threats to infrastructure increasingly bypass the kinds of heavy platforms that defined the early 2000s.
Recent events have underlined this shift. The cyber-attack on the UK Electoral Commission exposed vulnerabilities in essential democratic systems, showing how adversaries can disrupt national processes without ever approaching British territory. The new Protector RG Mk1 unmanned aircraft, which officially entered service in June 2025, is a concrete example of the kind of modernisation Britain needs: long-endurance surveillance, precision strike capability, and greater integration into UK airspace than its predecessor, Reaper. This is what successful, future-focused investment looks like.
Britain has also seen the cost of getting it wrong. The Ajax armoured vehicle programme, 8 years behind schedule and nearly £10 million per vehicle, is a case study in mismanaged procurement. Soldiers reported vibration and noise issues during testing, leading the Ministry of Defence to pause training while investigations continued. When defence projects fail like this, rising budgets simply become rising waste. SDR 2025 acknowledges this problem, but the scale of reform required across procurement and project management remains significant.
The next phase of defence spending must prioritise capabilities aligned with contemporary threats. Cyber defence, counter-drone systems, autonomous platforms, long-range precision artillery and resilient communications infrastructure are not optional extras, but essential components of national security. The war in Ukraine demonstrated how cheap, commercially available drones can neutralise traditional equipment worth millions. Britain cannot afford to be caught unprepared.
At the same time, national resilience has become inseparable from national defence. Undersea cables carry almost all UK internet traffic and global financial transfers; energy grids and NHS IT systems are increasingly targeted in hybrid warfare. A hostile cyber-attack on critical infrastructure could cause disruption equal to a conventional strike. Investing in resilience – digital, logistical and civil- must be part of any serious defence strategy.
There is also a political debate about where the additional defence funding comes from. Reductions in the aid budget have drawn criticism, but ultimately, international influence relies on capability. Diplomatic efforts are stronger when backed by credible military, and Britain cannot hope to play a leading global role if it cannot defend its own interests or support its allies. Hard power and soft power are not opposites; one reinforces the other.
For younger people, this shift in defence spending is not an abstract policy question. Modern defence investment is creating high-skill jobs in aerospace, cyber security, maritime engineering and advanced manufacturing in places such as Barrow, Belfast, Glasgow and Bristol. Defence modernisation is not only about deterrence; it is also linked to economic renewal and long-term competitiveness.
Ultimately, increasing defence spending is the right decision. Britain cannot navigate the geopolitical volatility of the 2020s with outdated platforms and ageing infrastructure. But higher budgets only matter if they translate into modern, usable capability. That means investing in technologies that address real threats, reforming inefficient procurement systems, strengthening national resilience and ensuring that Britain’s armed forces are ready for the world as it is, not as it used to be.
The opportunity is clear. Britain has committed significant resources to its defence; it must make sure those resources deliver. If the UK can match renewed funding with smart priorities and effective delivery, it will be far better placed to face the challenges of the next decade with confidence rather than complacency.