UK will have to ‘dial back’ military plans without more funding, says defence chief
Britain’s most senior military officer warns that without additional funding, the country will have to reduce military operations and exercises, as the defence budget faces a significant shortfall.
The UK’s chief of the defence staff, Rich Knighton, has said that the Ministry of Defence will be forced to scale back military activities unless it receives extra money from Downing Street and the Treasury. Appearing before a Lords committee, he expressed deep concern over day-to-day operational budgets, noting that without increased resource funding, exercises and operations in Europe, Ukraine, and the Middle East would have to be reduced.
This was his first public appearance since Defence Secretary John Healey resigned last week. Healey stepped down after Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to boost defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030, as previously planned. Starmer’s offer of 2.68%, Healey argued, would leave the UK less secure.
Concerns over day-to-day budgets
Knighton highlighted that while capital budgets for defence have grown significantly, revenue spending has not. Twenty years ago the split between resource and capital spending was 80/20; today it is 60/40, and by 2030 it is projected to be 50/50. Meanwhile, costs such as aviation fuel have surged after the US-Iran conflict.
The UK has offered to lead a peacekeeping mission in the Strait of Hormuz if the US-Iran ceasefire holds, and possibly a mission in Ukraine if Russia halts its invasion.
NATO targets and the investment plan
Knighton stressed the importance of the long-term NATO target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035, agreed by the prime minister a year ago. He noted that the concern is not just about capital investment but also about day-to-day activity, which is essential for meeting NATO capability requirements.
The shift in focus to day-to-day budgets is notable because the 10-year defence investment plan, due to be published on Monday, was halted when Healey resigned. The MoD was offered only £13.5bn to cover an £18bn gap in the plan.
