Overview
- An internal assessment pointing to a £28 billion gap to 2030 was delivered to Keir Starmer before Christmas by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, with John Healey and Rachel Reeves present.
- Downing Street has instructed officials to rework the Defence Investment Plan, pushing publication from its pre-Christmas target into the new year and unsettling procurement timelines.
- Military sources cite inflation, personnel pay and nuclear deterrent costs as key pressures, with the Army flagged as most exposed and the £6.3 billion Ajax armoured vehicle programme reported as at risk.
- The Ministry of Defence says overall spending is rising to record levels, totaling £270 billion this parliament, and states it is working flat out to finalize the plan.
- Operational pressure is intensifying as the UK supported a US operation to seize a Russian‑flagged tanker and the UK and France outlined plans for a potential multinational force in Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached.