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U.S. official says special relationship requires higher defense spending
A U.S. defense official told a Singapore security conference that allies must increase military spending to receive priority access to arms sales and intelligence. The remarks come as the U.K. government continues work on a defense investment plan scheduled for release this autumn.
May 30, 8:45 AM·1m read1 source
The IndependentAudio version
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Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the official said countries that meet U.S. expectations on defense would receive expedited arms sales, expanded intelligence sharing, and deeper industrial cooperation.
The official added that nations viewed as relying on U.S. capabilities without matching spending would face reduced access to those benefits.
U.K. defense spending plan The U.K. government has stated it aims to reach 5 percent of GDP on national security by 2035, including 3.5 percent on core defense. The detailed investment plan remains unpublished, with reports indicating a potential funding gap of around £28 billion.
" Opposition lawmakers have proposed an amendment that would require the plan to be presented to Parliament within one month of the Armed Forces Bill receiving royal assent.
Previous statements on ally support Earlier this month, the U.S. defense official submitted a written statement to Congress describing allied support for a U.S. military operation against Iran as "unconscionable" and warning that the United States "will remember." A former defense secretary criticized the current government’s approach to defense spending during a lecture last month, describing it as "corrosive complacency."
