The £68 billion Investment Plan Delay

Britain's Ministry of Defence has been criticized for its long-delayed ten-year Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which was meant to follow swiftly after Lord Robertson's landmark strategic defence review last summer. The DIP was expected to commit £68 billion in investment for the Armed Forces, but the government has failed to commit the funds.

According to Westminster sources, the DIP could be released this week, but the delay has raised concerns about Britain's military vulnerabilities.. With Iran capable of striking London with hypersonic missiles and Russia probing UK defenses weekly, the nation's military has shrunk into what Air Marshal Edward Stringer calls a 'bonsai military': miniature, complex to maintain,and ill-equipped for a storm.

A Blueprint for Rebuilding Britain's Forces

A former senior military official has interviewed multiple former and current senior military officials to explore how Britain might begin rebuilding its forces. Their consensus: the answer lies in combining cutting-edge technology with cheap, mass-produced equipment, emphasizing AI and drones, while ensuring sufficient personnel .

This is a generational task, but here is a blueprint to make Britain a serious fighting nation again.. The Royal Navy must be expanded to deter Russia in the North Atlantic and China in the Indo-Pacific. Britain's fleet of smaller attack submarines must be increased to meet obligations under Aukus, the trilateral security agreement with Australia and the US.

The Royal Navy's Deterrence Gap

The Royal Navy's Continuous At-Sea Deterrence (CASD) armed with the Trident nuclear system relies on four aging Vanguard-class submarines from 1993. Their replacements, the stealthy Dreadnought-class ballistic and nuclear submarines, are under construction by BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, scheduled to enter service from the early 2030s.

However, Britain's fleet of smaller attack submarines must be expanded to meet obligations under Aukus. Currently, we have seven Astute-class vessels, but shockingly, due to repair and crewing backlogs, none is currently deployable. To meet obligations under Aukus, we need up to 12 nuclear-powered submarines.

The Role of Drones in Britain's Military Rebuild

Drones must also be prioritized in Britain's military rebuild. Smaller unmanned vehicles like the AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma, an ultra-light scouting UAV for maritime use, should be standard on all ships, along with Peregrine or Wasp rotary drones.

A handful are in service now, but the fleet must expand at least fivefold. Ukraine's Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus (Magura) V5 types, costing about £200,000 each, have damaged or destroyed many Russian warships, along with first-person view drones and loitering munitions.

The Need for Autonomous Underwater Vessels

The Royal Navy needs 20 of the Excalibur Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vessel, an AI-driven submarine weighing 19 tons, which can conduct endurance warfare and autonomous surveillance.. Currently, it has only one. Traditional frigates remain vital for anti-submarine warfare and escort duties, but our current fleet of just ten Duke-class vessels is weak, especially given that only a small number are operational.