Starmer boosts budget to modernize UK military before exit

MAIDENHEAD, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain plans to spend almost 300 billion pounds ($397 billion) over the next four years to modernize its armed forces to counter rising threats, outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday.

More drones, uncrewed vehicles and an upgrade to the U.K.’s nuclear deterrent form part of Starmer’s long-awaited 10-year Defense Investment Plan (DIP), which he described as his “legacy.”

The proposals see an extra 15 billion pounds being pumped into defense spending up to 2030, the year by which U.K. intelligence has suggested Russia could attack a NATO country.

Starmer called the 300 billion-pound figure a “record investment” that would transform Britain’s military, as the nature of modern warfare changes.

“By any measure, this is a huge historic shift for our nation and a legacy in which I take pride,” he told reporters.

Starmer is expected to leave office next month after losing the support of Labour members of Parliament and urged likely successor Andy Burnham to see through his defense spending commitment.

“I am absolutely certain that this is the platform on which whoever comes after me can build,” Starmer added.

The plan follows months of wrangling within the Labour government over the resources required to modernize Britain’s fighting capabilities, to counter greater aggression from countries such as Russia, and mitigate for a less reliable United States.

Two defense ministers quit earlier this month in a row over the defense plan, including Defense Secretary John Healey who said it risked making Britain “less safe.”

The resignations highlighted Starmer’s weakening authority.

He announced on June 22 he was stepping down after lawmakers from his ruling Labour party switched their support to veteran politician Burnham.

Burnham, the 56-year-old former Greater Manchester mayor, will take over as prime minister in mid-July if he faces no challengers for the Labour leadership.

‘Hybrid’ vessels

Starmer’s plan includes more than 5 billion pounds for drones and autonomous systems over the next four years, the Ministry of Defence said in a news release.

The 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 ministry added.

The wars in Ukraine and Iran have highlighted the increased use of war-fighting robots.

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

The plan seeks to develop a “hybrid” Royal Navy by replacing six aging destroyer warships with smaller, autonomous vessels working alongside crewed ships.

It also allocates more than 8 billion pounds to create the next generation of stealth fighter jet alongside Italy and Japan, and a $64 billion upgrade to Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO members spend 5% of economic growth on defense by 2035 and become less reliant on Washington for security.

Starmer said the defense plan will take spending to 4.2% of gross domestic product, but did not specify a date.

The 15 billion-pound uplift is well short of the 28 billion pounds that military leaders previously said was needed.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Starmer’s plan.

“Stronger U.K. defense makes us all safer,” he wrote on X.

But the opposition Conservatives’ defense spokesperson, James Cartlidge, said the plan was “too little, too late.”

“The plan is now almost a year overdue and only being rushed through because Keir Starmer is desperate for a legacy,” he added.

—

By DAN MATTHEWS with PETER HUTCHISON in London, Agence France-Presse