UKÕs Starmer unveils defence boost

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to spend an
additional $20 billion to modernise BritainÕs depleted armed forces
in a long-delayed investment plan to counter rising threats

FUNDING FOR KEY PROJECTS: Defence Investment
Plan (DIP) announced by Starmer (right) sets out total
funding of $395 billion over four years

$84bn: Strengthen
UK nuclear deterrent Ð
new submarines, warhead
and 12 F-35A jets

$34bn: Upgrade UK
naval bases, including
Faslane, Portsmouth
and Devonport

$15bn: Replenish
stockpile of munitions
sent to Ukraine

$11bn: Build next
generation Tempest
stealth fighter jet

$6.5bn: Shift to smaller,
cheaper, uncrewed and
autonomous systems

$1.5bn: For air and missile
defence and protecting
BritainÕs undersea cables.
Increase in regular army to
76,000 soldiers

3.5%
NATO
spending
target by
2035

UK DEFENCE SPENDING (% of gross domestic product)

Projection

3.4%
Peak at
end of
Cold War

2.3%: In 2025-26

2.6%
2027-28 target

2.68%: In 2029-30
original DIP

2.7%: In 2029-30 latest DIP

3%: Ambition Òin next
ParliamentÓ

3.0
3.5
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0

Above: HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier at Portsmouth

1990/91
1995/96
2000/01
2005/06
2010/11
2015/16
2020/21
2025/26
2030/31
2035/36

Sources: BBC, Reuters
Pictures: Getty Images
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