The Strategic Defence Review is an upcoming review of the United Kingdom's defence policy. It is the first such review carried out by a Labour government since 2003. The review will be led by former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, with oversight from Defence Secretary John Healey. It was announced on 16 July 2024 by the newly incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer and is set to be published in the first half of 2025. [1]
The previous defence review was part of the Integrated Review commissioned by Boris Johnson's Conservative government in 2021. It was revised a year later by his successors, Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Russia has continued its war in Ukraine, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched attacks in the Red Sea and against Israel resulting in UK military intervention, China has continued to seek territorial expansion, and North Korea has provided substantial material support to Russia's war effort. The armed forces have also experienced high-profile issues with recruitment and experts have argued that defence cuts have left it unequipped to be a "tier one" fighting force. [2] [3]
In its election manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to conduct a defence review within the first year of government and this commenced on 16 July 2024, two weeks after its election victory. The review is to be headed by three external reviewers: Former NATO Secretary General and Defence Secretary Lord Robertson, United States Presidential advisor and foreign policy expert Dr Fiona Hill, and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Richard Barrons. They will be supported by a review team comprising experts from inside and outside of government, including those in the armed forces, veterans, the defence industry, the general public, academia, parliament and close allies. [1] The review is expected to focus on several key areas, including homeland security, support for Ukraine, modernisation of the armed forces, the nuclear deterrent and the UK's continued leadership in NATO. [4] Lead reviewer, Lord Robertson, stated in a press briefing that the UK and its allies were facing a "deadly quartet" of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea and said that the UK must be prepared to take on all four if necessary. This view was in contrast to the previous defence review which described China as a "systemic challenge" rather than a threat. [5] The previous review's focus on the Pacific region is also expected to be sidelined in favour of security in Europe. [6]
The government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP once affordable and following the findings of the review. [7]
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War, NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber. The organization's strategic concepts include deterrence.
The North Atlantic Treaty forms the legal basis of, and is implemented by, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949.
George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, is a British politician of the Labour Party who was the 10th Secretary General of NATO from 1999 to 2003; he succeeded Javier Solana. He was Secretary of State for Defence from 1997 to 1999, before becoming a life peer as Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, of Islay in Argyll and Bute, on 24 August 1999.
The secretary of state for defence, also known as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Defence. As a senior minister, the incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
The Storm Shadow is a Franco-British low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA. "Storm Shadow" is the weapon's British name; in France it is called SCALP-EG. The missile is based on the French-developed Apache anti-runway cruise missile, but differs in that it carries a unitary warhead instead of cluster munitions.
John Healey is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Defence since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, formerly Wentworth and Wentworth and Dearne respectively, since 1997.
Sir Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a British politician and former British Army Officer who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, from 2005 to 2024.
NATO is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. Article 5 of the treaty states that if an armed attack occurs against one of the member states, it shall be considered an attack against all members, and other members shall assist the attacked member, with armed forces if necessary. Article 6 of the treaty limits the scope of Article 5 to the islands north of the Tropic of Cancer, the North American and European mainlands, the entirety of Turkey, and French Algeria, the last of which has been moot since July 1962. Thus, an attack on Hawaii, Puerto Rico, French Guiana, the Falkland Islands, Ceuta or Melilla, among other places, would not trigger an Article 5 response.
SirKeir Rodney Starmer is a British politician and barrister who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 5 July 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 5 July 2024, and has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
NATO maintains foreign relations with many non-member countries across the globe. NATO runs a number of programs which provide a framework for the partnerships between itself and these non-member nations, typically based on that country's location. These include the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace.
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called Wojsko Polskie in Poland are the national armed forces of the Republic of Poland. The name has been used since the early 19th century, but can also be applied to earlier periods.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are the military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the President of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rada parliamentary commission. They trace their lineage to 1917, while the modern armed forces were formed after Ukrainian independence in 1991. As of 2024, it is the fifth largest and one of the best-funded armed forces in the world. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also operates one of the largest and most diverse drone fleet in the world. The Ukrainian Armed Forces is one of the most battle-hardened armed forces in the world.
The 2014 Wales Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was the 25th summit of the heads of state and heads of government of the NATO countries, held in Newport, Wales on 4 and 5 September 2014. Such summits are sporadically held and allow leaders and officials from NATO Allies to discuss current issues of mutual concern and to plan strategic activities. The 2014 summit has been described by US Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis as the most important since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, often known as the Integrated Review, and titled as Global Britain in a Competitive Age, was a review carried out by the British government led by Boris Johnson into the foreign, defence, security and international development policies of the United Kingdom. Described by Johnson as "the largest review of its kind since the Cold War", the review was published on 16 March 2021.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People is a ministerial position in the Ministry of Defence in British government, currently held by Alistair Carns. From 2022 to 2024, the role was Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs in Cabinet Office and the minister attended the Cabinet.
On 15 November 2022, a missile struck Polish territory, in the village of Przewodów near the border with Ukraine, killing two people. The incident occurred during attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure by Russia. It was the first incident of a foreign missile hitting NATO territory during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Initially Ukraine accused Russia of striking Poland, while United States claimed that the missile was likely to have been an air defence missile fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile. This was later confirmed in September 2023 by the Polish Prosecutor's Office, which stated that the explosion was caused by an out of control air-defence S-300 missile.
The Fourth European Political Community Summit was a meeting of the European Political Community held on 18 July 2024 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, United Kingdom.
The 2024 Washington summit was the 33rd summit of the heads of state and government of the thirty-two members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), their partner countries and the European Union (EU), which took place in Washington, D.C., United States, on 9–11 July 2024. The summit commemorates the landmark 75th anniversary of NATO, which was founded on 4 April 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, DC. The summit was also the fourth NATO summit to be held in the United States following the 1978 Washington summit, 1999 Washington summit and 2012 Chicago summit. It also marks the first summit since Sweden acceded to NATO and the last for Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General.
The United Kingdom has supported Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. After it began on 24 February 2022, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the invasion, provided military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and sanctioned Russia and Belarus, the two countries most involved in invading Ukraine. Support to Ukraine continued under Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and incumbent prime minister Keir Starmer.
Keir Starmer's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 5 July 2024 when he accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party, after the Labour Party had won the 2024 general election.