Foreshadowing of UK defence review suggests it is light on programme details
The SDR has left open the possibility of the UK buying F-35A fighter aircraft. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was designed to answer two questions: What is needed to fix UK defence and make it fit for the 2040s, and what do you get for a fixed financial profile? The SDR outlines that work still needs to be done on specifics.
The UK’s SDR, written over the past 12 months, has argued for a NATO-first approach and tapped into the buzzwords of uncrewed and artificial intelligence (AI).
The SDR has proven to be light on specifics and industry will have to wait to see requirements and numbers. These are expected to be clarified over the next few months and work still needs to be done about the industrial strategy.
Speaking on background prior to the SDR’s release, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there was a need to “refashion an industrial partnership that connects the armed forces to innovation”.
The
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