The Conservative party plans to announce a £10 billion 'Britannia Shield' air and missile defence system for the UK. James Cartlidge stated that Britain requires new funding for advanced radar and interceptor missiles.
Cartlidge further claimed that this programme represents 'one of Britain’s most significant military programmes since the cold war'. Funding for the new system will come from the defence uplift, which aims to bring spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.
The objective is to achieve a minimum deployable capability within a five-year timeframe. The proposed British system will incorporate advanced radar, a command and control system, and a missile stockpile.
Previously, the government had committed approximately £790 million for integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) within the Defence Investment Plan. Kemi Badenoch stated that the Labour party was 'failing that basic test' of keeping the country safe.
Badenoch warned, “The world will not wait for Britain to get ready. War has returned to Europe. Missiles and drones are transforming warfare in the Middle East. Cheap weapons can now threaten cities, military bases and critical infrastructure in ways that would have sounded like science fiction a generation ago,”.
