Tag: Ministry of Defence

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 25 July 2026.

British soldiers will be better protected and more lethal on the battlefield as a new investment of up to £400 million will see the Army equipped with the latest spy drone technology.

• New Tekever AR5 surveillance drones chosen to keep British troops safe through round-the-clock intelligence gathering.
• Up to £400 million deal will support jobs at Tekever’s UK sites, bolstering Britain’s defence manufacturing base.
• Investment supports re-industrialisation of Britain, helping to strengthen national security and create growth across the UK.

British soldiers will be better protected and more lethal on the battlefield as a new investment of up to £400 million will see the Army equipped with the latest spy drone technology. 

The new drones will be able to carry up to 50kg in surveillance equipment, such as cameras and sensors, and can fly for longer than previous systems the Army has used, giving commanders real-time intelligence to protect troops and inform battlefield decisions.    

The initial order will be for six AR5 drones, with up to 24 delivered by 2029. 

The AR5 has been selected to replace the ageing Watchkeeper drones, under a deal worth up to £400 million over the next 10 years. The drone will be built in Tekever’s soon to be open Swindon manufacturing facility. 

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP said:

Proven in Ukraine and designed to protect British soldiers globally, we’ve chosen the UK-based Tekever AR5 drone to supply our personnel with kit that will keep them ahead of emerging threats.

This investment will support our troops on deployment, while driving re-industrialisation and backing British innovation.

Watchkeeper, in service since 2014, is reaching the end of its operational life. The new AR5 offers significantly improved endurance, sensor capability and reliability, ensuring that the Army maintains a battle-winning edge in surveillance and reconnaissance systems. The drone has been utilised by Ukraine’s Armed Forces on the battlefield, as they continue their fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion. 

The full contract will sustain and create hundreds of jobs at Tekever’s UK sites, reinforcing defence’s important role in the UK’s growing defence and technology sector. It reflects this government’s commitment, driving defence as an engine for growth and supporting the reindustrialisation of industry in Britain. 

Tekever UK’s Managing Director Karl Brew said:

CORVUS represents a major step change in delivering cutting edge autonomy to the British Army. This isn’t about a platform, it’s about building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries.

Through CORVUS, TEKEVER aims to create a new type of partnership between government and industry where we will ensure a constant cycle of capability evolution that delivers decisive advantage to our end users.

Subject to contract signature and final approvals, the new capability will begin entering service later this year, with support sustained for at least five years and options to extend.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 22 July 2026.

Thousands of British workers will accelerate development of advanced technologies for use by the Royal Air Force, following a £708 million investment announced today.

• Contract awarded to continue development of advanced air combat technology for UK Armed Forces.  
• More than 4,500 workers across the UK will develop cutting-edge defence technologies, including artificial intelligence and advanced software. 
• A nationwide supply chain of around 600 British-based companies will benefit from the contract extension, which was announced as part of the Farnborough International Airshow.  

The contract extends the existing programme with BAE Systems, accelerating development of the advanced technologies needed for the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). That technology includes pioneering dual-use capabilities, from first-in-the-UK digital engineering to artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing capabilities, such as augmented reality, additive manufacturing, and robotics. 

The previous phase of investment delivered significant progress across the UK’s future combat air capability, including the expansion of digital engineering capabilities, development of critical physical infrastructure, and maturation of advanced technologies required for future combat air systems. 

In part, today’s contract will provide vital UK national infrastructure and technology as a critical contribution to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), as well as supporting the UK’s wider future combat air system.   

The work will be led by BAE Systems, alongside Team Tempest partners Leonardo UK, MBDA UK and Rolls-Royce, with approximately 90% of the jobs based outside of London and the south-east. Around 600 companies and academic institutions across the UK form the programme’s supply chain, supporting thousands of skilled jobs and making defence an engine for growth. 

Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting MP said: 

This is a clear vote of confidence in British industry, and the thousands of highly skilled workers who are helping to keep our country safe.  

This investment in advanced combat air technology for the UK Armed Forces will strengthen our defence and deterrence and shows our clear commitment to backing British workers with our defence investment, creating jobs and supporting communities across the UK.

Simon Barnes, BAE Systems Group Managing Director said: 

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme represents the UK’s ambition to shape the future of combat air and secure a leading role in the technologies, skills and capabilities that will define air power for decades to come. This additional investment will enable us, as Team Tempest partners, to continue pushing the boundaries of digital engineering, advanced systems and next-generation combat air technologies, helping sustain the UK’s position at the forefront of combat air innovation.

The announcement follows the recently published Defence Investment Plan which confirmed that the UK would invest £8.6 billion into GCAP over the next four years. 

Since 2018, the UK Government has invested more than £5 billion across the FCAS programme.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 July 2026.

One of the world’s most ambitious defence and industrial partnerships  is even stronger  as the UK, Italy  and Japan welcome Canada  to  the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as  the  first Observer Nation.

• Canada becomes the first Observer Nation of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), founded by the UK, Italy  and Japan. 
• GCAP  is designing, developing  and building  the next generation of fighter  jet  to  support  national  security. 
• Ambitious  programme  supports  thousands of jobs in  the UK, with  over 600  companies up and down the country involved. 

One of the world’s most ambitious defence and industrial partnerships  is  even  stronger  as the UK,  Italy  and Japan welcome Canada  to  the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as  the  first Observer Nation.   

GCAP  will  deliver a next generation combat  aircraft,  designed to  fight,  win  and keep the UK fit to face the future.

GCAP is part of the UK’s future combat air system  which already supports 4,500 jobs in the UK, with thousands more expected to be supported. Over 600 organisations up and down the UK are in the supply chain, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships and driving growth in advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.   

Canada will gain direct insight into GCAP, including capability development, industrial  collaboration  and long-term delivery plans through structured engagement with partner nations. 

While  Canada  won’t  have a  decision-making role, the move gives them privileged  access to the  programme  and  paves the way for discussions on Canada’s future participation and contribution to GCAP.   

The announcement was made as Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP hosted his Japanese, Italian and Canadian counterparts - Shinjirō Koizumi, Guido Crosetto, and David McGuinty  –  on his first day in post at Wellington Barracks in London.  

Prime Minister, Andy Burnham said:

As I said on the steps of Downing Street, we are going to honour our commitments on defence – and use that investment to transform people’s lives.

And we are going to work even more closely with our allies.

So today, we are not just recommitting to our state-of-the-art GCAP fighter programme – but I am delighted to announce that Canada will join the programme as the first Observer Nation.

GCAP is already one of the world’s most ambitious defence and industrial partnerships – supporting 4,500 jobs across the UK. Today’s announcement makes it even stronger.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP said:  

The first duty of any government is to keep our country safe. That’s why I’m pushing this programme forward on my very first day in the job. GCAP continues to strengthen our security, drive technological innovation and create highly skilled jobs across the UK.    

We are proud to welcome Canada to this new phase of engagement and look forward to sharing expertise and  working on technological advances as we continue to deliver this groundbreaking programme.

Involvement in GCAP  will further  strengthen the UK’s defence cooperation with Canada, building on decades of close collaboration as  Five Eyes members  and NATO  Allies. 

GCAP  will deliver a sixth-generation  aircraft, designed to operate  alongside  capabilities including the F-35. It will  use  advanced autonomy, AI, uncrewed  systems and next-generation sensors to maintain  air superiority against  ever  evolving threats.   

This announcement comes  alongside an investment of £8.6 billion into  GCAP over four years as part of the Defence Investment Plan.  

Earlier this month,  the  UK,  Italy  and Japan  finalised a £4.6 billion contract with  Edgewing  -  the  industry joint venture  –  to  advance the next stage of the aircraft’s design by  establishing  its key requirements and rigorous testing.   

The work strengthens the UK’s sovereign industrial base, securing skilled good manufacturing jobs, and industries in Italy and Japan.    

GCAP brings together the industrial and technological strengths of all three nations, driving innovation and skills across key areas such as digital engineering, advanced propulsion, sensors  and data systems, delivering a highly capable future combat air system.   

Since its  inception, GCAP has been founded on the principle that international collaboration delivers significant benefits, demonstrating how trusted partners can work together to enhance interoperability, strengthen  security and deliver a world-leading future combat air capability.  

Canada’s Observer status  represents  a significant step in  GCAP  as  an open, scalable  and internationally relevant partnership, designed to meet the  threats of the future.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 July 2026.

On July 21, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Japanese Defense Minister KOIZUMI Shinjirō, UK Secretary of State for Defence Wes Streeting, and Canadian Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty met in London to discuss Canada’s participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

The Ministers of Italy, Japan and the UK welcomed Canada’s participation as an Observer, and all four Ministers welcomed the opportunities arising from this important development. This announcement marks an important step in strengthening cooperation among trusted, like-minded partners through the Programme.

Observer status will provide Canada with enhanced insight into GCAP and an opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Programme’s governance, capabilities and industrial framework, as well as the related security requirements and wider partnering opportunities.

For Italy, Japan and the UK, Canada’s involvement will also support greater alignment of strategic priorities and deepen mutual understanding of future combat air ambitions, thereby strengthening global security.

Since the Programme’s inception, GCAP has been founded on the principle that international collaboration delivers significant benefits. In a complex global security environment, Italy, Japan, and the UK have remained committed to engaging with trusted allies and partners to strengthen the Programme and maximise its long-term strategic impact.

As they begin this new phase of the Programme, the Ministers of Italy, Japan, and the UK reaffirmed their commitment to openness, collaboration with like-minded partners, and the delivery of a next-generation combat aircraft capable of meeting future security challenges.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 July 2026.

The UK will join the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) programme, supporting a transformation in the British Army’s ability to strike targets further away and strengthening the UK’s contribution to NATO deterrence.

• British Army to acquire the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a proven supersonic ballistic missile capable of hitting targets up to 500km away.
• PrSM will help the Army’s ability to find, fix and strike threats to destroy enemy systems and supply lines before they can threaten NATO forces and territory.
• Procurement backed by £190 million from the Government’s £298 billion Defence Investment Plan, expected to support British jobs.

The UK will join the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) programme, supporting a transformation in the British Army’s ability to strike targets further away and strengthening the UK’s contribution to NATO deterrence.

Backed by £190 million in the Government’s £298 billion Defence Investment Plan, the procurement of PrSM will extend the Army’s current land-based strike range significantly.

PrSM is a proven ballistic missile capable of reaching supersonic speeds and travelling up to 500km. It is fully compatible with the UK’s existing upgraded M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers, meaning no additional vehicle modifications will be required.

Currently built by Lockheed Martin, the missile provides the capability to take out stationary enemy systems and weapons up to 500km away. Future development could enhance the capability further. 

The investment in PrSM gives the British Army a deep surface-to-surface ballistic missile capability that will complement the Army’s One Way Effector (OWE) drone and ground-launched cruise missile capability. This will create a mix of long-range precision strike options that the British Army needs to defend and deter as part of NATO.

PrSM is a collaborative programme between the United States and Australia. Subject to agreement with them, the UK could receive the first deliveries in 2027. The announcement follows NATO Defence Ministers meeting which focused on cooperation and deterrence, and where Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis met with US Secretary of War Hegseth.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

I am absolutely determined to give our soldiers the weapons they need as they defend our nation and NATO.

This new investment into a precision strike missile will help to strengthen our Army and our security at this increasingly dangerous time.

The US and Australia are vital defence partners, and I am working with Secretary Hegseth and Deputy Prime Minister Marles to deliver this programme alongside AUKUS.

UK participation will provide significant benefits to the UK, US, Australia and NATO beyond the immediate military capability. Benefits include working collaboratively to further develop the missile – bringing in the best of British industry, and workshare to produce the missile – creating good jobs in the UK. Working with the US and Australia, the programme aligns strongly with AUKUS Pillar 2.

The UK remains firmly committed to the Deep Precision Strike and European Long Range Strike Approach with European partners, including Germany. PrSM will be a complementary capability available immediately and does not replace longer-term collaborative programmes.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 6 July 2026.

NATO air policing conducted by F-35 jets from European aircraft carrier for first time in boost to High North security.

Britain’s Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, is helping to defend Europe and the North Atlantic, with F-35 jets conducting NATO air policing operations from the deck for the first time.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP, accompanied by Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, visited UK forces onboard the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales which is deployed off Iceland under NATO command.

Iceland provides vital support to allied forces operating from its territory, with this close cooperation boosting security in the North Atlantic.

UK F-35 jets are patrolling the skies above Iceland and the High North from HMS Prince of Wales to help protect NATO allies against increasing Russian threats. This is the first time NATO has conducted air policing operations from a European aircraft carrier.

Over 1,500 British personnel on the carrier, Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, and RFA Tidespring, are deployed as part the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the North Atlantic.

The visit by the Defence Secretary comes as elite British troops are taking command of the Alliance’s high readiness special operations force for the first time.

The UK’s Special Operations Forces assumed leadership of the Special Operations Component Command within NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF) on 1 July. The force is the spearhead of the ARF, able to deploy anywhere in the world within days.

At the same time, the UK also assumed command of the maritime component of the ARF with Rear Admiral Mark Anderson and his battle staff taking up the post. HMS Queen Elizabeth, having recently completed a refit in Rosyth, is preparing to serve as the floating headquarters for the force later this year. 

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

It was an honour to visit our deployed personnel who are conducting operations that help keep our nation and our allies safe.

We live in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain time, and it’s deployments like this, supported by allies and partners including Iceland, that improve our deterrence and defence as part of NATO.

We are investing £298 billion over the next four years to strengthen readiness and ensure our people have the kit and technology they need.

I’m proud of our people and proud of the commitments we’re making to the alliance and to European security.

Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said:

The visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group is a clear demonstration of NATO’s enhanced presence in this strategically important region, and one that Iceland is proud to support and contribute to.

NATO continues to strengthen its deterrence and defence, demonstrating Allied unity and resolve in the challenging environment of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Activities such as Arctic Sentry reflect this shared commitment.

The Carrier Strike Group work on NATO operations comes as the Defence Investment Plan confirmed that £240 million is being invested in the development of new drones to build a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing, including jet-powered drones to work alongside F-35 fighter jets.

British forces are playing a vital role to deter and defend, increasing NATO’s resilience, readiness, and unity.

There are over 1,000 British personnel across NATO command posts, while the UK also leads the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) from its HQ in Gloucestershire with more than 400 permanent staff from 20 NATO allies.

UK forces also remain on the frontline of defending NATO – from the 800-strong UK battlegroup in Estonia, to the Typhoon jets defending the skies over Romania, and the RAF P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft patrolling the Baltic Sea.

The UK is the only European NATO member to commit its nuclear deterrent in full to the Alliance and as confirmed in the Defence Investment Plan, will join NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft nuclear mission with F-35A jets.

Supporting the UK’s leadership of NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Estonia is the British Army’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, which is held at high readiness in the UK, able to rapidly deploy thousands of troops to Estonia at short notice

The RAF’s UK-based Quick Reaction Alert squadrons – ready 24/7 to respond to threats to UK airspace – are integrated into NATO’s air defence system and help guard NATO’s northern air policing area.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 3 July 2026.

The £4.6 billion contract awarded to industry joint venture Edgewing, funded jointly by the three partner nations, will advance the next stage of the aircraft’s design.

• £4.6 billion contract secured with Italy and Japan to deliver a next-generation combat aircraft.
• Major milestone in trilateral programme to bring a sixth-generation fighter jet into service from 2035.
• Comes as Defence Investment Plan confirmed that the UK will invest £8.6 billion in the programme over four years, supporting British jobs, innovation and national security.

Over £4 billion is being invested today in the next generation high-tech fighter jet, which will secure the skies and support skilled manufacturing jobs in Britain.

The contract, signed today, is a key milestone for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a groundbreaking collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft, targeted to enter service in 2035.

It comes just after the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) confirmed this week that the UK would invest £8.6bn into the programme over four years.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said:

The Global Combat Air Programme will give our pilots a cutting-edge stealth fighter jet. Signing this £4.6 billion contract alongside Italy and Japan is a major step forward towards delivery.

This milestone strengthens our partnership with international allies, supports thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK, and will give the RAF the tools they need to keep the UK safe, all backed by an £8.6bn commitment in the Defence Investment Plan.

The GCAP fighter jet will work alongside Typhoons, F-35s and autonomous systems as part of a next-generation Royal Air Force. The aircraft will use complex digital engineering, AI and ground-breaking technologies to be the most advanced fighter jet flown by the RAF.

The £4.6 billion contract, funded jointly by the three nations, has been awarded through the GCAP Agency to industry joint venture Edgewing, and will advance the next stage of the aircraft’s design by establishing its key requirements and rigorous testing. GCAP and the UK’s future combat air system has already delivered tangible advances in UK digital engineering and advanced manufacturing, including the use of AI, robotics, augmented reality and additive manufacturing to speed up design, testing and production processes.

GCAP delivers significant long-term economic benefits to the UK and is part of the UK’s future combat air system, which already helps support 4,500 jobs across the country. With a supply chain of approximately 600 organisations, the work strengthens the UK’s sovereign industrial base, securing skilled good manufacturing jobs.

The DIP committed over £1.1 billion of new funding to upgrade and sustain the RAF’s Typhoon force into the 2040s, £2.2 billion for purchasing new F-35s to expand the UK’s fleet of stealth fighter jets, and £300 million to begin developing a new UK autonomous combat aircraft.

GCAP brings together the industrial and technological strengths of all three nations, driving innovation and skills across key areas such as digital engineering, advanced propulsion, sensors and data systems, delivering a highly capable future combat air system.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 29 June 2026.

Britain’s Armed Forces will be strengthened and thousands of British jobs created through a drone transformation, announced by the Prime Minister and backed by more than £5 billion in the Government’s Defence Investment Plan.

• Largest ever drone investment in UK Armed Forces – more than £5 billion over the next four years – to be included in the Defence Investment Plan.
• Investment will drive a drone transformation for the UK Armed Forces, with new technology and infrastructure to keep the nation at the leading edge of innovation, and back British jobs.
• Prime Minister to launch Defence Investment Plan today (Tuesday 30 June), setting out how the Government will go further and faster on defence spending to protect the nation.

Britain’s Armed Forces will be strengthened and thousands of British jobs created through a drone transformation, announced by the Prime Minister today and backed by more than £5 billion in the Government’s Defence Investment Plan.    

In a major speech at a British defence firm today (Tuesday 30 June), the Prime Minister will set out how new investment in defence will accelerate the use of drones and autonomous systems across the Armed Forces and keep the country safe for years to come, as he launches the Defence Investment Plan.   

As the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine show, drones are rapidly reshaping warfare, with cheap systems destroying high value targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years. 

Ukraine uses roughly 200,000 drones a month to defend itself from Russia’s barbaric invasion, while at the height of the Iran conflict, 700 offensive drones were being launched per day.  

The £5 billion investment will see Britain build a flexible, integrated force with attack drones flying alongside Army helicopters, RAF jets made invisible from enemy detection with new drones, and a hybrid Royal Navy made up of crewed and uncrewed vessels.   

It will also fund Europe’s biggest drone testing centre, the Uncrewed Systems Centre, opened earlier this month in Swindon, and a new Uncrewed Systems Taskforce to rapidly develop and field new autonomous capabilities with industry. This will ensure the UK can continuously scale production and get the very latest drones into the hands of our Armed Forces to protect the UK and our Allies.  

The Prime Minister will today lay out other key areas of the Defence Investment Plan and how the Government will go further and faster on defence spending to protect national security, drive growth across the country and deliver opportunity.  

The Defence Secretary has spent the last two weeks refocusing the DIP so that it prioritises getting the latest kit into the hands of military personnel, including for the UK’s elite Commandos. They will be equipped with new high-speed boats and the latest drone and autonomous technology. At least six new warships will also be built for the Royal Navy, delivering the UK’s most advanced maritime air defence capability and keeping British shipyards working for decades to come.   

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.

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.

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.

The character of warfare is rapidly changing. In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts. 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.

This major investment will see capabilities ranging from highly complex autonomous mine-hunting drones to small ‘quadcopter’ tactical drones, and low-cost ‘kamikaze’ one-way attack drones. The drone transformation will be accelerated across all the services:  

Royal Navy  

The Royal Navy is transforming into a Hybrid Navy, combining autonomous vessels and AI with warships and aircraft, including:    

• Type 91: Uncrewed missile platforms to increase the firepower of the Hybrid Fleet.  
• Type 92: Uncrewed sense platforms designed to hunt enemy submarines across the North Atlantic, supporting our new frigates.
• Type 93: Extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels which will work alongside crewed hunter-killer submarines to seek and destroy enemy submarines.  
• Type 94: Uncrewed sense platforms designed to scan the skies for threats to the hybrid navy or the homeland.  
• In the 2030s, we will expand the numbers of the above platforms and bring at least six Common Combat Vessels into service as the brain of a networked Maritime Air Defence system.    
• Project PANTHEON: Development of a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing, including trialling jet-powered drones to work alongside our F-35B force.  
• Our Royal Marine Commandos will benefit from further investment in their transformation, equipped with new high-speed boats and the latest drone and autonomous technology. 

British Army   

The British Army is increasing its lethality, including through:  

• A major investment into inexpensive expendable autonomous systems and loitering munitions to enhance the lethality of the Army, including a £50 million boost over the next 12 months for the Army’s RAPSTONE programme, funding additional first person view and interceptor drones. 
• Uncrewed Ground Vehicles: A new programme to rapidly develop and produce uncrewed vehicles and their associated mission systems for the Army through UK industry.  
• Project NYX: Up to 24 autonomous armed drones will be operational by 2030, flying alongside the Army’s recently upgraded Apache helicopters. They will carry out reconnaissance, precision strikes, and electronic warfare.  
• Project Corvus: Up to 24 surveillance drones to replace the Watchkeeper system, carrying out intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance.   

Royal Air Force   

The Royal Air Force is transforming, investing in:  

• A new, national Collaborative Combat Air programme:  The development of new autonomous fighter jets which will fly alongside crewed jets, to defend the UK’s skies with a demonstrator flying by at least 2030. 
• Storm Shroud system: Bring our new uncrewed electronic warfare drone into service this year.   

This Defence Investment Plan is delivering the vision set out in the Strategic Defence Review and placing defence on a stronger, more sustainable footing. 

The Defence Investment Plan will prioritise growing sovereign British AI and autonomous technology, drawing on the UK’s world-leading research base – collaborating with key allies and positioning Britain to export cutting-edge defence capabilities internationally.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 29 June 2026.

Expert UK scientists working on the most innovative defence technologies will be backed by £580 million of infrastructure funding over the next four years, including to build a new world-leading new laboratory and expand their research.

• £580 million funding for Dstl infrastructure, including building a new laboratory to expand work against biological warfare threats.
• New lab named after former British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, one of founders of NATO.
• Organisation renowned for new technologies and chemical weapons analysis, including DragonFire laser, drone technology for Ukraine and Novichok nerve agent response.

Expert UK scientists working on the most innovative defence technologies will be backed by £580 million of infrastructure funding over the next four years, including to build a new world-leading new laboratory and expand their research.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is dedicated to cutting- edge research into new science and technologies for defence, and in 2018 its site at Porton Down notably analysed samples of the military-grade Novichok nerve agent used by Russia on UK soil.

This funding, allocated as part of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, will help develop a new laboratory in Porton Down to enable the organisation to expand its work on biological threats. The lab will be named after former British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, one of founders of NATO.  

This support will ensure the UK continues to be a global leader in innovative research.  

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

Our scientists and experts working at Dstl do so much, often unseen, to keep our country and our allies safe at this increasingly dangerous and unpredictable time.

The £580 million investment will create the facilities needed at Porton Down to expand their vital work, delivering for our Armed Forces and our national security.

For the last 25 years Dstl has led the UK’s defence science and technology research from Artificial Intelligence to underwater systems. 

From developing smart ‘find and strike’ systems for faster battlefield decisions, providing cutting-edge technology used by the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and their F-35 Lightning fighter jets, to trialling the UK’s first high-energy laser weapon DragonFire, and supporting operations worldwide, Dstl plays a vital role in keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad.  

Dstl Chief Executive, Paul Hollinshead said:  

This investment reinforces the essential work delivered daily by Dstl to protect the UK Armed Forces and defend the nation. 

As part of a broader infrastructure programme at Dstl, this new laboratory will strengthen our capacity to stay ahead of evolving biological threats and maintain the UK’s leading edge in defence and security.

To further bolster the UK’s leadership in science and technology, the UK has also ringfenced £1.6 billion investment by 2030 for the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) fund to accelerate innovation, strengthen security, and grow UK defence technology.  

UKDI funding played a crucial role in delivering the UK’s first fully autonomous full-sized helicopter, Proteus, in a major milestone for the Armed Forces, which will support the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare efforts.