All that glitters is not gold for MoD
The major multi-year funding injection announced by the UK government in November 2020 appears attractive — but in fact it lays bare a dilemma at the heart of the MoD.
The UK MoD enters 2021 having won a significant victory in its battles with the Treasury. Prime Minister Boris Johnson firmly aligned himself with Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace in November, by agreeing a multi-year funding settlement worth £16.5 billion.
This represents a marked change in fortunes for the MoD, which had probably been expecting substantial cuts — or at best no growth — to its budget. The wider decision by the government to delay its multi-year cross Whitehall spending review was also seen as a bad omen. It seemed to indicate that at best the MoD
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Milrem Robotics puts forward multi-layered defence concept for NATO's eastern flank]()
Eurosatory 2026: Milrem Robotics puts forward multi-layered defence concept for NATO's eastern flank
Autonomous systems developer Milrem has evolved a model for an interoperable robotised approach to the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), showing how uncrewed systems could provide a multi-layered defence architecture in the air and on land along NATO’s eastern borders.
-
![Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP]()
Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP
The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.
-
![Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade]()
Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade
Today's rapidly changing security landscape means that armed forces can no longer treat their data in the same way as in the past. What are the key challenges they face, and how can industry help them?
-
![US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027]()
US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027
The House Armed Services Committee recently released the Chairman’s NDAA FY2027 markup, which supports the Pentagon’s request for nearly $90 billion for long-range missiles, air defence interceptors, precision-guided munitions and industrial baseline items.
