Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2025.

The UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission in a major boost for national security.

The UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission in a major boost for national security.

The Prime Minister will announce at the NATO summit tomorrow [Wednesday] that the UK intends to buy at least a dozen of the dual capable aircraft, which can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.

The decision will support 20,000 jobs in the F35 programme in the UK, with 15% of the global supply chain for the jets based in Britain, supporting highly skilled jobs and opportunities for working people and delivering a defence dividend across the country.

The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham, with the Government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme. The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B as part of the next procurement package will deliver a saving of up to 25% per aircraft for the taxpayer.

The purchase represents the biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation. It also reintroduces a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War.

The UK will deploy the jets as part of NATO’s nuclear Dual Capable Aircraft mission, strengthening NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend.

“Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F35 dual capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our Allies.

“The UK’s commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the Alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.”

From Samlesbury to Stevenage, UK based firms such as BAE Systems, Cobham, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, Martin Baker, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls Royce, Leonardo UK , Ultra Electronics and EDM Limited all play a vital role in the supply of stealth fighter jets.

The Strategic Defence Review recognised that the UK is confronting a new era of threat, including rising nuclear risks. It recommended that the UK further strengthen our commitment to effective deterrence and our partnership with our NATO Allies, building on our unique role as the only European power to pledge our nuclear deterrent to defend our NATO allies.

The DCA mission is a critical part of NATO’s nuclear deterrence, helping to keep people across the alliance safe.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said:

“The UK has declared its nuclear deterrent to NATO for many decades, ​and I strongly welcome today’s announcement that the UK will now also join NATO’s nuclear mission and procure the F-35A.

“This is yet another robust British contribution to NATO”.

The UK has always supported NATO’s nuclear mission, by providing conventional capabilities and resources such as aircraft and airspace to its annual exercises.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

“The Strategic Defence Review confirmed we face new nuclear risks, with other states increasing, modernising and diversifying their nuclear arsenals. And it recommended a new UK role in our collective defence and deterrence through a NATO-first approach.

“This commitment is an embodiment of NATO first, strengthening the alliance while at the same time using defence as an engine for growth to create jobs across in the UK.”

Our commitment to Britain’s nuclear deterrent is absolute, underpinned by our ‘triple-lock’: building four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria; maintaining our continuous at sea nuclear deterrent; and delivering all future upgrades needed.

This announcement further underlines the UK’s unshakeable commitment to NATO, and the principle of collective defence under Article V.

The UK remains committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons and upholds all our obligations under the NPT.

This announcement follows the SDR’s commitments to deliver up to 12 new conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and £15bn this parliament to deliver the sovereign nuclear warhead programme.

Additional information

• Alongside the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture also relies on the United States’ nuclear weapons forward-deployed in Europe, as well as on the capabilities and infrastructure provided by Allies.
• A number of NATO countries contribute a dual-capable aircraft (DCA) capability to the Alliance. These aircraft are central to NATO’s nuclear deterrence mission and are available for nuclear roles at various levels of readiness. In their nuclear role, the aircraft are equipped to carry nuclear weapons in a conflict, and personnel are trained accordingly.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani this evening.

The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s steadfast support for Qatar and underscored his deep concern at the volatile situation in the region.

He paid tribute to Qatar’s Armed Forces for their response to Iran’s attack yesterday.

The leaders agreed it was now vital all sides seized the opportunity presented by the ceasefire to secure a diplomatic way forward.

Turning to Gaza, the Prime Minister and His Highness discussed the horrific situation on the ground and the need for all sides to agree an urgent ceasefire.

The Prime Minister then updated on his discussions at The NATO Summit in The Hague.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 June 2025.

Working people will be more secure as the Prime Minister will make a historic commitment at the NATO Summit to spend 5% of GDP on national security.

Working people will be more secure as the Prime Minister will make a historic commitment today at the NATO Summit (Tuesday 24 June) to spend 5% of GDP on national security.

This pledge to meet the NATO commitment on 5% comes as the government today publishes its National Security Strategy, drawing together all of the security work that has taken place since the General Election, with the relentless pursuit of British interests as its founding principle.

Marking a step change with the approach of previous governments, the National Security Strategy directly answers to the concerns of working people, aligning our national security objectives and plans for economic growth in a way not seen since 1945.

This will increase investment in security, defence and resilience, delivering jobs, wages and growth for the British people to raise living standards and put more money in working people’s pockets.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe.

That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to NATO and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security and resilience.

After all, economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people – guided by my Plan for Change.

The UK has long argued that investment in things like energy security and tackling smuggling gangs is vital to national security. That is reflected in the National Security Strategy and the Spending Review and is now expected to be recognised by NATO.

With the new 5% commitment on national security, the UK expects a projected split of 3.5% (core defence) and 1.5% (resilience and security) to be agreed at the NATO summit, with a target date of 2035.

Under NATO’s new estimate, the UK expects to reach at least 4.1% of GDP in 2027. All Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spend between defence and wider national resilience in 2029, when NATO next reviews its capability plans.

The National Security Strategy, with support from academics and other technical experts, reaffirms that the UK must become more competitive and robust in crucial areas like science, education, trade and frontier technology – or risk falling behind.

In a more transactional world, the report determines that building our own sovereign, independent capabilities in strategically important areas will reduce our dependency on other nations, support British businesses to grow and shield the British public from strong headwinds in the global economy.

As this government has said before, the benefits of our increased investment in defence will be felt directly in the pockets of working people. This will extend to good, stable work in communities across the country – from doubling the number of apprentices and creating 9,500 jobs Berkshire by investing £15 billion in our sovereign warhead programme, to delivering 200 new jobs in BAE Systems’ new artillery factory in Sheffield or supporting 800 defence jobs across the country to build up to 7,000 long range missiles for our Armed Forces.

Drawing our priorities to make the UK more secure and economically prosperous further together, the government’s Industrial Strategy will also invest £86 billion in research and development to drive growth in technologies that will underpin our future economic and military competitiveness.

The National Security Strategy is also a call to action that our entire society needs to become more resilient, recognising that national security means more than it used to – from the security of our borders to the health of our economy, from supply chains to food prices and from safety on our streets to the online world.

Faced by this reality in a world of increasing ‘grey zone’ threats, we cannot take a piecemeal approach that enhances the security of one part of our critical national infrastructure but leaves gaps elsewhere for our adversaries to exploit. This requires us to fortify in the round our economy, industry, digital communications and transport and energy networks against cyber-attacks and sabotage that we have seen launched against our public services and businesses, causing uncertainty and inconvenience for working people.

So, by stepping up we will meet the threats we face, following the clear objectives defined in the National Security Strategy to make every part of the UK more secure and resilient. We will become more unapologetic and systematic in pursuit of our national interests – delivering security for the British people.

The National Security Strategy brings together:

• Strategic Defence Review
• Strategic Security Review
• AUKUS Review
• Resilience Strategy
• China Audit
• Industrial and Trade Strategies

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 June 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street this afternoon.

The Prime Minister began by sharing his condolences with President Zelenskyy on the deaths of five Ukrainians following Russian strikes overnight.

Looking ahead to the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, the leaders welcomed the Secretary General’s focus on the Alliance’s steadfast support, including through significant pledges of financial support from Allies.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of ensuring Ukraine’s Armed Forces had the defensive equipment they needed to push back Russian forces, while also working towards a just and lasting peace.

Discussing how the UK and Ukraine could go further on military cooperation, the leaders discussed opportunities to expand industrial collaboration between defence companies in both countries.

Turning to Coalition of the Willing planning, the leaders agreed the grouping should convene virtually in the coming weeks to update members on next steps.

Both looked forward to seeing one another again at The Hague Summit tomorrow.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 June 2025.

A landmark agreement between the UK and Ukraine to share battlefield technology has been reached today, boosting Ukraine’s drone production and linking up the UK’s defence industry with the cutting-edge technology being developed on the front lines in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Zelenskyy reached the agreement during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Downing Street today.

Technology data sets from Ukraine’s front line are set to be plugged into UK production lines, allowing British defence firms to rapidly design and build, at scale, cutting edge military equipment available nowhere else in the world.

Ukraine is the world leader in drone design and execution, with drone technology evolving, on average, every six weeks.

The agreement will allow that data to be shared with UK firms to quickly build and produce large numbers of drones for Ukraine’s front lines. It will also ensure a defence dividend continues to be delivered across the country – boosting Ukraine’s defence with deliveries of new equipment, while also supporting British jobs.

Initial agreements between defence firms in both countries are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks, with the aim of delivering Ukraine large numbers of battle-proven drones to continue to stave off Russia’s barbaric invasion over the coming months and years.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

By harnessing Ukraine’s battlefield innovation and combining it with British industrial strength, we are not only accelerating support for Ukraine’s defence, we are also delivering security for working people through our Plan for Change.

This agreement is not just about today’s fight, it’s about building the defence capabilities of tomorrow, together.

The agreement, which covers the next three years, underscores the unbreakable friendship between the two countries, comes after the two leaders signed the 100-year partnership between the UK and Ukraine in January.

The UK will also allocate up to £280m of bilateral assistance to Ukraine for financial year 2025-2026 today to keep the country in the fight and ensure Ukrainians living through Russia’s illegal invasion have access to vital support.

The funding will support humanitarian, energy, stabilisation, reform, recovery and reconstruction programmes. Today’s extra funding takes the UK’s non-military support to Ukraine since the start of the invasion to over £5bn. This includes £4.1bn in fiscal support, and over £1.2bn in bilateral assistance.

The industrial pilots and subsequent orders will be funded through the UK’s £4.5 billion of military support this year. It also delivers on the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations for the UK Armed Forces to move towards a greater use of autonomy.

Initially, the industrial partnership is expected to increase information and expertise sharing between the UK and Ukraine on drone-based air defence, but the agreement also paves the way for both countries to work on capabilities for the future, long after the war finishes.

It comes after strong collaboration between UK and Ukrainian innovation and military teams and builds on the partnerships created through the UK’s joint leadership of the international drone coalition.

The pilots and subsequent orders will be funded through the UK’s £4.5 billion of military support this year and the UK’s commitment to provide £3bn a year of military support to Ukraine in future years. It also delivers on the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations for the UK Armed Forces to move towards a greater use of autonomy.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 June 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney this evening.

They discussed the grave situation in the Middle East and last night’s action by the United States to tackle the severe threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme.

Both reiterated their support for a diplomatic solution and agreed that Iran must come back to the negotiating table with the United States as soon as possible.

They looked forward to continuing their discussions at NATO this week.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 June 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the United States Donald Trump this evening.

The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and reiterated the grave risk posed by Iran’s nuclear programme to international security. They discussed the actions taken by the United States last night to reduce the threat and agreed that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.

They discussed the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and to make progress on a lasting settlement.

They agreed to stay in close contact in the coming days.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain to Downing Street today.

The leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-Bahrain relationship, and welcomed the UK becoming a full member of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) today. The agreement will deepen trilateral cooperation with Bahrain and the United States on regional security at a critical time, both agreed.

The Prime Minister also welcomed the signing of the Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership, building on the two-way investment partnership between the countries, and how this will unlock new investment, growth and jobs into the UK, delivering on the Plan for Change.

The leaders also underscored the importance of the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the two countries, deepening joint military training and building on the two nations’ strong naval ties.

Highlighting the strength of the 200-year relationship between both nations, the leaders looked forward to further cooperation, including trade negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the leaders called for de-escalation and both agreed on the need for enduring and closer relationships across the region to support stability.

The Prime Minister and Crown Prince looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2025.

The Warm Home Discount will be expanded meaning 6 million households will receive £150 off their energy bills this winter.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 18 June 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani this evening.

The leaders began by discussing the developments in the Middle East in recent days, and both echoed the need for de-escalation and diplomacy.

Underscoring the deep defence and security relationship between the two countries, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s support for Qatar and leaders discussed how both countries could further support regional stability.

Turning to Gaza, the Prime Minister reiterated the intolerable situation on the ground and underlined the UK’s support for an immediate ceasefire.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.