{"id":54246,"date":"2018-12-18T19:08:19","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T19:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/18\/britain-eyes-a-more-lethal-force-in-newly-revealed-defense-modernization-review\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:01:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:01:26","slug":"britain-eyes-a-more-lethal-force-in-newly-revealed-defense-modernization-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2018\/12\/18\/britain-eyes-a-more-lethal-force-in-newly-revealed-defense-modernization-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain eyes a more lethal force in newly revealed defense modernization review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LONDON \u2014 Britain is to rebuild weapon stockpiles, strengthen Joint Forces Command and earmark cash to rapidly innovate as part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/nato-priorities\/2018\/06\/25\/big-reveal-of-uk-modernization-plan-expected-in-brussels\/\" target=\"_blank\">long-awaited defense modernization review<\/a> revealed Tuesday by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The defense secretary told Parliament on Dec. 18 that the review, known as the Modernising Defence Programme, would improve the lethality, reach and mass of the armed forces. However, he stopped short on detailing where the cash would coming from and who the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2018\/03\/29\/uk-releases-extra-funding-but-military-relevancy-challenges-remain\/\" target=\"_blank\">long-term winners and losers<\/a> might be in regard to capabilities and programs as priorities change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Williamson told lawmakers he would do \u201ceverything within my power to make sure that the U.K. remains a tier-one military power,\u201d his statement disappointed some in the defense sector for its blandness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Labour, the main opposition party in Britian, called the statement \u201cwaffle\u201d and said Williamson had done nothing to address a funding shortfall of between \u00a37 billion and \u00a315 billion (U.S. $8.8 billion and $18.9 billion) in equipment budgets over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some analysts also felt the yearlong review had failed to deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s an announcement about future announcements, it\u2019s the [Ministry of Defence] keeping lots of option open, \u201c said Jon Louth, the director of defense, industries and society at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London. \u201cIt\u2019s all about seeing what can be achieved in next year\u2019s governmentwide departmental spending review.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2018\/10\/29\/uk-mod-gets-budget-boost-of-more-than-1b-with-three-programs-in-mind\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dreadnought.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">UK MoD gets budget boost of more than $1B with three programs in mind<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The increase caught many by surprise. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has been battling with Hammond for months for extra cash.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Howard Wheeldon, a British-based defense commentator, said the review had \u201chardly a specific detail of anything that really matters other than some minimal strategic intentions to be found amongst the prose. Perhaps the best that can be said is that while it contains many strategic positives, loads of ambition and intent, at the very least it doesn\u2019t contain any new specifics in relation to planned cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alex Ashbourne-Walmsley of Ashbourne Strategic Consulting said the review was an \u201canti-climax.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have waited all year for this, and what we have is a very thin document. It\u2019s hard to fault the aspiration, but making it a reality is a different matter. Where\u2019s the money coming from?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5472\" height=\"3648\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg 5472w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1058094944.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5472px) 100vw, 5472px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Nick Carter, left, walks with British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in Downing Street on Nov. 6, 2018. (Tolga Akemn\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ashbourne-Walmsley and Louth agreed the MoD\u2019s success, or otherwise, in securing additional funds when the government\u2019s departmental medium-term spending plans are agreed sometime next year is the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor the MoD, it\u2019s all about next year\u2019s departmental spending review. It\u2019s unfortunate that the moment the review came on the horizon, that invalidated most of the things that the modernizing defense review could have hoped to achieve,\u201d Ashbourne-Walmsley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of these plans are hostage to fortune in terms of the spending review [known as the comprehensive spending review], economic damage from Brexit and even a change of government,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The MoD has secured an additional \u00a31.8 billion in funding this year from the Treasury for spending on items like the nuclear deterrent, anti-submarine warfare and cipher capabilities, but the department still has considerable work to do to balance the books on a total budget slated to top \u00a339 billion next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Audit Office, the government\u2019s financial watchdog, reckons the MoD is at least \u00a37 billion overcommitted on its 10-year, \u00a3186 billion equipment plan. But, the office admits, it could be a lot more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Williamson acknowledged the MoD had to create \u201cfinancial headroom for modernization,\u201d but told Parliament this could be achieved through efficiencies. \u201cBased on our work to date, we expect to achieve over the next decade the very demanding efficiency targets we were set in 2015, including through investment in a program of digital transformation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Analysts here reckon that\u2019s an optimistic target without capability cuts; although there was no mention of any reductions in the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe all know that you cannot [achieve efficiency targets] without taking the knife to something. So what we may be able to deduce or fear is that hidden out there somewhere is a chapter of probable announcements of what might yet be to come,\u201d Wheeldon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One thing appears: Spending priorities are set to change as the MoD reacts to the growing threat from potential adversaries. That includes rebuilding depleted weapons stockpiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo improve the combat effectiveness of our forces, we will re-prioritize the current defense program to increase weapon stockpiles. And we are accelerating work to assure the resilience of our defense systems and capabilities,\u201c Williamson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will improve the readiness and availability of a range of key defense platforms: major warships, attack submarines, helicopters and a range of ISTAR platforms,\u201d he added, without concrete details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Williamson also said Joint Forces Command capabilities are set to be upgraded. \u201cA major new step will involve an improved Joint Forces Command that will be in a better position so that defense can play a major role in preventing conflict in the future and improve our cyber operations and capabilities across the armed forces, but also across government as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur adversaries and competitors are accelerating the development of new capabilities and strategies. We must keep pace and conceive of our joint force as consisting of five domains \u2014 air, land, sea, cyber and space \u2014 rather than the traditional three,\u201d he told lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The review might have been short on details, but the MoD is pledging to drive the military modernization effort with funding, albeit a small amount, for innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Britain already has a small defense innovation fund, which this year has \u00a320 million to put toward projects in areas including unmanned air systems, virtual reality training and enhanced digital communications. The fund will grow to \u00a350 million in the next financial year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New \u201cSpearhead\u201d innovation programs will apply cutting-edge technologies to areas including subsurface threats to submarines; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; and command and control in the land environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, the MoD is investing \u00a3160 million to create a transformation fund, but additional money may be available in the upcoming comprehensive spending review if Williamson can make the case for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI will ring-fence \u00a3160 million of MoD\u2019s budget to create this [transformation] fund available for innovative new military capabilities. I will look to make a further \u00a3340 million available as part of the spending review. This fund will be available for new innovative military capabilities, which allows us to stay one step ahead of our adversaries,&#8221; Williamson argued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Britain is to rebuild weapon stockpiles, strengthen Joint Forces Command and earmark cash to rapidly innovate as part of a long-awaited defense modernization review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":114394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":46,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,46,11,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3351],"class_list":["post-54246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-europe","category-global","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"KI4ZWJDSW5C2TOIU7REWHRM2UA","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/europe\/2018\/12\/18\/britain-eyes-a-more-lethal-force-in-newly-revealed-defense-modernization-review\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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