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UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour

21st September 2026 - 09:37 GMT | by Harry McNeil in London, UK

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The Council on Geostrategy report argues the UK should expand its attack submarine fleet and deepen AUKUS cooperation to strengthen maritime power. (Photo: Crown Copyright)

A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.

The UK should step back from pursuing a full-spectrum “balanced force” and instead concentrate defence investment in the maritime, air, space and nuclear domains, according to a report authored by Sam Goodman and James Rogers.

Asymmetric statecraft: Strengthening British power in a more geopolitical era argued that Germany and Poland’s continued land rearmament meant Britain had little to gain from rebuilding heavy armoured divisions.

Reinvesting in such capabilities would merely duplicate allied capacity, the authors said, adding that the UK’s advantage instead lay in a focused force able to dominate the sea, air, space and nuclear domains.

Naval and undersea

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Harry McNeil

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Harry McNeil


Harry McNeil is Shephard's Naval Reporter. Before joining, he spent almost two years as an …

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