UK Defence Plan Leaves 4.7 Billion Pound Funding Gap

The United Kingdom government released a defence investment plan on Tuesday that sets out an additional 15 billion pounds in spending to modernise the armed forces. Accompanying documents showed that almost a third of the new money still needs to be identified in a budget scheduled for later this year.

The plan aims to restore war-readiness to forces described as depleted amid rising security threats, including assessments that Russia could attack a NATO member by 2030. It also restates the goal of reaching 3.5 percent of GDP on defence by 2035.

The incoming prime minister will need to identify an extra 4.7 billion pounds to close the gap if the transition occurs as expected later this month. A minister of defence procurement stated that it is common for governments to announce spending totals before finalising the details in a subsequent budget.

The defence secretary faced questions about whether the incoming prime minister had been informed of the shortfall before the plan’s release. The secretary said discussions had taken place with the incoming prime minister’s team but declined to specify when the financial details were shared.

politicians and former military chiefs criticised the plan for not setting a timetable for reaching the 3 percent of GDP spending level that precedes the 3.5 percent target. The outgoing prime minister said much of the additional funding would come from reallocating resources across government departments.