£5bn invested in defence tech to prepare for ‘new age of warfare’, government says

A total of £5bn will be invested in warfare technology to equip frontline defences for modern conflict, the defence secretary has revealed.  

Drones and cutting-edge laser technology will be deployed to cut costs, speed up attacks, and reduce collateral damage.

John Healey said: “These investments will mean the most significant advance in UK defence technology in decades”.

More than £4bn will be invested in autonomous systems in a move set to improve the “accuracy and lethality” of attacks, and boost UK export potential. 

A further £1bn will be put towards directed energy weapons, including the government’s landmark laser weapon DragonFire, which is being tested and developed in Scotland.

It is claimed the tool, set to be fitted across the Royal Navy in 2027, will be the first high-power laser capability in service from a European nation. 

DragonFire, which is being trialled in the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) site in the Outer Hebrides, is expected to be a low-cost alternative to missile attacks. Last year, it achieved the UK’s first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets. 

Healey added: “These investments will mean the most significant advance in UK defence technology in decades. We will ensure our armed forces have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

“We are delivering the strategic defence review’s vision to put the UK at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, by backing British industry and fast-tracking the kit of the future into the hands of frontline troops."

Announced earlier today, the defence review said defence must incorporate uncrewed and autonomous systems in high numbers over the next five years and make targeted investment in the development of novel directed energy weapons. 

Reacting to the investment, Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: "We live in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment where technology and innovation are driving a new age of warfare and it's vital that the UK armed forces are at the cutting edge of that.

"This multi-billion-pound funding for advanced kit such as the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon, which is being developed with Scottish industry expertise and tested at MoD Hebrides, will protect UK national security as part of the UK Government's strategic defence review. 

"Through our plan for change, Scottish defence businesses – with their skills, expertise and innovation – will have a huge opportunity to benefit further from this new investment with the sector here already receiving £2.14bn in government spending last year, supporting approximately 25,600 jobs.”

A new drone centre will also be created to accelerate the exploitation of small, uncrewed air systems across all three military services - army, navy and air force. It will apply lessons learned from the war in Ukraine - where drones now kill more people than traditional weapons - as well as act as  “central knowledge hub” to tackle any emerging legislative changes. Detailed organisational arrangements will be shared over the coming months, the government confirmed.

The funding builds on recent efforts to ensure the UK is ready for tech-enabled conflict. Last week, the government announced a new dedicated command to help the defence sector manage the growing threat of cyber war.