The UK will spend an estimated UK1.8 (US2.34 billion) on counter-UAS systems as part of the Defence Investment Plan announced earlier today by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The expenditure includes C-UAS components within the Digital Targeting Web programme (see below), protection to homeland and overseas bases, new C-UAS protection to Royal Navy ships and increased stockpiles of munitions and weapons – including C-UAS interceptors.
The new plans commit to putting more than UKP5 (USD6.5 billion) into drones and autonomous weapons, with spending on counter-UAS spread through several programme areas.
The Army will see attack drones flying alongside Apache helicopters, a new fleet of surveillance drones collecting intelligence and finding targets and a surge in low-cost one-way attack drones, long range missiles, armoured vehicles and counter-drone defence systems.
Nearly UKP2 billion (USD2.6 billion) will be spent on new Digital Targeting Web, connecting sensors, commanders and weapons through AI-enabled software to accelerate decision-making and shorten the time between detecting and engaging targets, with UK790 million (USD1.04 billion) earmarked to counter air, missile and drone threats.
According to the UK’s defence ministry, the UK790 million investment will “enhance protection of the UK homeland and overseas bases from air, drone and missile threats.” The funding will be invested in new command and control centres, radars and sensors. “We will also invest in Directed Energy Weapons, upgrade Sea Viper for our Type 45 destroyers, expand counter drone systems, and build a new Integrated Air, Space and Missile Defence Operations Centre,” said the statement.
Further, the government will spend UK11 billion on munitions and weapons to increase UK stockpiles “and ensure Armed Forces have the right mix of capabilities to defeat targets, including long-range strike weapons, low-cost cruise missiles and one-way effectors….By 2030, we will have built at least six new energetics factories and increased our national munitions production capacity,” said the press statement.
Editor’s note: the figure of USD2.34 is estimated, conservatively, from C-UAS spending in the four different programme areas identified in the first paragraph
For more information
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-announcing-the-defence-investment-plan-30-june-2026
https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/uk-gcap-tempest-defence-investment-plan/
(Image: Royal Air Force – https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-regiment-counter-uas-defending-the-airspace-and-turning-threat-into-intelligence/)
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