{"id":54342,"date":"2021-01-11T09:54:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T09:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/11\/uk-defense-secretary-britain-is-paving-a-path-for-modernization-and-appropriate-funding\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:01:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:01:53","slug":"uk-defense-secretary-britain-is-paving-a-path-for-modernization-and-appropriate-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/outlook\/2021\/01\/11\/uk-defense-secretary-britain-is-paving-a-path-for-modernization-and-appropriate-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"UK defense secretary: Britain is paving a path for modernization and appropriate funding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Estonian town of Tapa sits less than 100 miles from the Russian border, and in December I was there to visit some of the 900 British troops that have been stationed there since 2017 \u2014 our largest land deployment outside of the U.K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not just a useful training exercise with our Danish and, in a few months\u2019 time, French allies, but rather a strategic defensive presence in a region that is vital for global security. Our Estonian allies are bolstered and reassured by having us there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more active, more deployed armed forces<\/a>, such as those in Tapa, is a sign of things to come for U.K. defense. Like Estonia, we meet the 2 percent commitment to NATO, and in the U.K.\u2019s latest spending review, the Ministry of Defence secured a record settlement of \u00a316.5 billion (U.S. $22.4 billion) of funding above our election manifesto commitment over a four-year period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prime minister and I share a vision for how that funding<\/a> will transform U.K. defense<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is crucial to putting our defense spending on a sustainable footing<\/a> \u2014 living within our means, addressing the underfunding of previous years and paving the way for a modernization that is much overdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means being an even greater and ever-reliable defense ally to our friends around the world<\/a>. It means adopting a more proactive posture with our forces more forward, more present and more assertive. It means remaining a leader in NATO, spending above 2 percent of gross domestic product, making the largest single commitment to the Readiness Initiative and helping drive the modernization of an organization that has kept us safe for more than 70 years. And, of course, it means remaining the United States\u2019 most reliable, capable and committed ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\t