Britain's Defence Investment Plan: Key Military Budget and Technology Updates
Overview of Britain's Defence Investment Plan
LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Britain will unveil its long-delayed Defence Investment Plan on Tuesday, setting out how it intends to spend a growing military budget in the coming years as it prepares for possible future conflicts.
Here are some of the measures already announced in the run-up to the plan's publication:
Royal Navy Modernisation
Hybrid Navy Initiative
- Britain said its Royal Navy would become a 'Hybrid Navy' combining autonomous vessels and AI with warships and aircraft.
Uncrewed Vessels and Capabilities
- This includes a range of uncrewed vessels with individual specialities such as submarine hunting, missile platforms and reconnaissance stations.
- The government will invest in at least six "Common Combat Vessels" to serve as control hubs for uncrewed systems. These will come into service in the 2030s.
- New high-speed boats for Royal Marine Commandos.
Army Technology Investments
Autonomous Systems and Drones
- Investment in "inexpensive expendable autonomous systems and loitering munitions"
- A programme to develop uncrewed ground vehicles.
Drone Integration
- Up to 24 autonomous armed drones by 2030 to work alongside conventional Apache helicopters.
- Up to 24 surveillance drones to replace the existing 'Watchkeeper' uncrewed surveillance aircraft.
Air Force Advancements
Autonomous Fighter Jet Development
- The development of new autonomous fighter jets which will fly alongside crewed jets.
(Reporting by William James, Editing by William Maclean)