Britain must invest in defence AI to secure its future |
The UK has the talent and industrial base to compete in defence tech, but leveraging these effectively will require more than investment, writes Tristam Constant
The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget included an increase in defence spending to 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027 and earmarked £1.5bn for new munitions factories. While these figures make headlines, it is worth asking what they will actually deliver, both in terms of programmes and capabilities which deliver at the pace required to actually matter. These are significant allocations, but money alone will not make Britain stronger or safer. If defence is to contribute meaningfully to both national security and economic growth, the capabilities we are procuring need to be more than a talking point – they must be integrated into strategy and industrial planning.
History offers a reminder. In the Second World War, Britain’s industrial capacity was decisive. Factories retooled overnight to produce tanks, planes and munitions. Today, conflict is different: speed, technological superiority and operational flexibility matter as much as volume. Autonomous........