Annual UK defence equipment spending jumps by more than £1 billion, deliveries nearly double
A contract agreed between DE&S and MBDA will lead to UK F-35B fifth generation fighters being equipped with SPEAR 3 air-to-surface missiles. (Photo: UK MoD)
The latest annual figures from MoD Defence Equipment & Support describe a significant increase in UK defence equipment spending.
Newly released figures from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) reveal that the UK increased its annual military equipment spending in 2021 by £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) and almost doubled deliveries of new assets.
Full spending on equipment and support amounted to £11.1 billion with 1,422 new assets delivered, including three P-8A Poseidon MPAs sent to RAF Lossiemouth, according to the DE&S 2020-2021 annual report and accounts.
By comparison, the organisation spent £9.9 billion in 2019-2020 and delivered 746 assets.
The new annual report, published on 27 January 2022, noted that strategic milestones for 58 of 70 Command Acquisition and Support Plan (CAPS) were met across
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures]()
Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
-
![High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?]()
High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
-
![Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack]()
Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
-
![As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues]()
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
