The UK lacks a credible plan to defend itself against a major military attack, a damning new report by MPs has concluded, as ministers pledge a rapid expansion of domestic arms production to restore national readiness.
Following an 11-month inquiry, the Commons Defence Committee issued a stark warning about Britain’s ability to fight a high-intensity conflict and meet its NATO obligations amid escalating Russian aggression.
Committee chair Tan Dhesi said the findings should serve as a wake-up call:
“Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, unrelenting disinformation campaigns, and repeated incursions into European airspace mean that we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand,” he said.
The report urges the government to level with the public about the scale of the threat facing the UK, and what must be done to counter it.
New Arms Factories Announced
The report’s release coincided with a major announcement from the Ministry of Defence, confirming at least 13 potential sites for new factories producing munitions and military explosives.
Defence Secretary John Healey, who will outline the plans in a speech in London on Wednesday, says construction on the first “factory of the future” should begin next year. The programme is expected to create at least 1,000 new jobs across regions including Grangemouth, Teesside and Milford Haven.
Healey said Britain is entering a “new era of threat” but argued it also presents an economic opportunity: “For too long, our proud industrial heartlands saw jobs go away and not come back. We are changing that… This is a fundamental shift from the failed approach of the past.”
The MoD has already committed £1.5 billion in additional investment for energetics and munitions, aiming to rebuild high-volume UK production capacity for the first time in nearly 20 years. Six new munitions and energetics plants are pledged before the next election.
Healey will also confirm the opening of two new drone factories in Plymouth and Swindon this week.
“We are making defence an engine for growth,” he will say. “This is the path that delivers national and economic security.”
Starmer Meets European Leaders as Defence Talks Intensify
Ahead of Healey’s speech, Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Their meeting comes during ongoing negotiations over UK participation in a €150 billion European defence fund. According to reports, Britain may walk away from the deal due to French pressure for the UK to contribute £5 billion to join the programme.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to use next week’s Budget to underline the government’s commitment to reversing what ministers describe as years of “hollowed-out and underfunded” armed forces.
