🇬🇧 🚩 London ups the ante: Britain prepares industry for 'war production rates'
In September, the UK published its new Defence Industrial Strategy , essentially a plan for the total mobilisation of its military-industrial complex. The main goal is to make the defence industry an “ engine of growth ” for the entire economy, rather than just a recipient of budget funds. The 112-page document also contains specific steps to modernise the approach to national defence issues. We have tried to highlight interesting theses from British analysts on modern approaches to national defence:
1. The main priority is “Innovation at the pace of war”
▪️ The British thesis: whoever implements the technology into the troops faster wins.
📌 Action: creation of UK Defence Innovation (UKDI). This is a new structure with an annual budget of $544 million and special powers. It was given carte blanche to “quickly assess the usefulness of an innovation” and redistribute resources in order to ❗️ bypass the bureaucracy of standard MoD procedures. That is, a separate, flexible and financially independent structure was created, responsible exclusively for the rapid search, implementation and scaling of innovations. By 2026, 10% of the equipment procurement budget will be allocated to new technologies (AI, drones, autonomous systems).
2. Segmented purchasing
▪️ Thesis: the speed of the decision-making cycle is the same resource as money.
📌 Action: The British are radically changing procurement logistics, dividing them into three segments with strict time frames:
▫️Large platforms (frigates, tanks, aircraft): the goal is to reduce the contract term from 6 to 2 years.
▫️Modular upgrades (communications, sensors, weapons): target - 1 year before contract.
▫️Rapid implementation (drones, software): the goal is maximum 3 months before the contract.
3. Industry as a battlefield
▪️Thesis : During military operations, enemy aggression is directed not only at troops, but also at industry, supply chains, logistics and personnel of enterprises in the rear.
📌 Actions:
▫️Regularly conducting war games (exercises/scenario exercises) with industry . The army and industrial enterprises learn to repel attacks on logistics and critical production together . The topic is so relevant in the current realities for 🇷🇺 Russia, which we will examine in more detail in a separate post.
▫️Investment in industrial resilience. $8.16 billion in ammunition production during this parliamentary term, including $2 billion in a “continuous” ammunition production line + construction of at least 6 new ammunition factories.
▫️ Creating an analogue of the American "Defense Production Act" . That is, providing the authorities with a mechanism for forcing civilian enterprises to sign contracts or fulfill orders that are considered necessary for national defense.
4. Focus on small and medium businesses, private capital
▪️ Thesis: breakthrough technologies are often born in startups, small companies, teams ( ⚡️ note: and also in the garages/dugouts of craftsmen).
📌 Action: creation of a "small business office at the Ministry of Defense". Its task is to help small companies obtain contracts and access to financing. Creation of clear and fast "elevators" for small technology companies in the state defense procurement system. Not only state contracts, but also assistance with private investment.
5. Nuclear shield
▪️Thesis: Despite the rapid development of new types of weapons, nuclear deterrence remains a priority .
📌 Action : $20.4 billion investment in the national nuclear warhead production program.
✨ London is preparing for a protracted war and, relying on the speed of implementation of new technological solutions and increasing the sustainability of its industry. It can be fairly noted that it is always easier to reform approaches to the country's defense in peacetime. But the very fact of such preparation of the country 🚩 NATO and the existence of current problems in Russia, raised in this document, cannot be ignored.
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