The government has also agreed to build 12 nuclear-powered submarines and embrace technologies like AI. This comes after former Labour Defence Secretary, Lord Robertson, carried out the Strategic Defence Review – where he found that the UK’s armed forces are not currently equipped to fight opponents like Russia or China.
Challenges Facing the UK Armed Forces
Robertson cited the UK’s inadequate stockpiles of weapons, poor recruitment and crumbling morale. John Healey, defence secretary, said that 30,000 highly-skilled jobs would also be created through increased investment in research and weapons manufacturing. In addition, AUKUS (a partnership with the US and Australia) will deliver up to 12 attack submarines, and there will be a large investment in nuclear weapons, which will see £15 billion put towards the “sovereign warhead programme”.
Improvements in Armed Forces Welfare and Capabilities
Better housing and equipment will also be offered to members of the armed forces. Responding to the outcome, Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Extending the UK’s security capability depends crucially on supporting our engineering capacity. The government has announced many important engineering and technology initiatives in the Strategic Defence Review, to which many of our Fellows and other engineers have contributed, including plans to accelerate adoption of digital technologies and AI, commitments to essential manufacturing capabilities, creating a pipeline of skills, and a renewed focus on home defence and resilience.
“However, the skills challenge must not be underestimated. There is both a significant shortage of engineers and technicians in the UK and significant skills gaps within the engineering profession that could undermine national security and the defence industry’s ability to meet these ambitions if not addressed.
“Maintaining critical skills for national security is a long-term and essential investment. But we also know that engineering skills shortages are not unique to the defence sector and so the balance of skills needs across the UK should be considered holistically. This is why we’re establishing the Royal Academy of Engineering Skills Centre, to bring together expert knowledge from industry, education and professional bodies to help the UK engineering community keep up with rapidly evolving skills and technologies and meet national needs now and into the future.
“We stand ready to support government to make the most of this opportunity to draw on the UK’s impressive innovation and entrepreneurial capacity, and to ensure we have the engineering skills needed across all sectors to contribute to a more resilient, secure and prosperous society.”
