Overview
- Richard Knighton told the Commons Defence Committee that the UK cannot deliver every planned capability within the current budget and that ministers must make trade-offs.
- He said options under consideration include deferring programs, cutting projects, or scaling ambition to match resources.
- The Defence Investment Plan remains a working document with no publication date, with the Ministry of Defence locked in discussions with the Treasury over affordability.
- Knighton dismissed reports of a £28 billion funding gap as speculation and confirmed his December meeting with the prime minister was classified.
- He highlighted shortfalls in specialist skills and the absence of a complete plan to mobilise the NHS for sustained mass casualties, noted rising NATO requirements, and said full delivery stretches into the early 2030s.