The UK will boost its fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and push defence readiness in response to evolving global threats and shifting U.S. security commitments under President Trump.
Britain will significantly expand its fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines as part of a broader strategic defence overhaul, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government announced ahead of Monday’s Strategic Defence Review. The decision comes amid growing geopolitical tensions and calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the country plans to build up to 12 next-generation nuclear-powered submarines, which will carry conventional weapons. These will gradually replace the current fleet of seven, starting from the late 2030s. The submarines are part of a trilateral collaboration with the U.S. and Australia under the AUKUS security partnership.
In a related move, the government disclosed for the first time that the development of a new nuclear warhead for the UK's separate fleet of nuclear-armed submarines will cost £15 billion.
Defence Minister John Healey underscored the urgency of the investments, citing heightened threats, particularly from Russia. “We know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression,” he said.
The Strategic Defence Review will lay out plans to transition Britain’s armed forces to “warfighting readiness,” identifying evolving threats and the technologies required to meet them. The government has already pledged billions for munitions production, battlefield innovation, and military infrastructure in advance of the review.
Starmer, addressing the economic constraints and political pressures his administration faces, has positioned defence investment as both a national security imperative and an economic opportunity. He reiterated his pledge to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a long-term goal of reaching 3%.
“This plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country,” Starmer is expected to say at the launch of the review.
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Polish fighter jets on Thursday intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted it away from their area of responsibility.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicating progress in the normalisation process between Ankara and Yerevan, describing the moment as ripe for concrete steps.
Kazakhstan has made a notable advance in the global Government AI Readiness Index, moving up to 60th place out of 195 countries in the 2025.
Three alleged members of a "terrorist origanisation" have been killed in a military operation in the Shamsiddin Shohin district according to Tajikistan’s Border Troops.
A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, state pollster VTsIOM said on Wednesday, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.
Military representatives from Cambodia and Thailand met in Chanthaburi province on Wednesday ahead of formal ceasefire talks at the 3rd special GBC meeting scheduled for 27th December.
Thailand and Cambodia both reported fresh clashes on Wednesday, as the two sides prepared to hold military talks aimed at easing tensions along their shared border.
It’s been a year since an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Relatives and loved ones mourn the victims, as authorities near the final stage of their investigation.
The White House has instructed U.S. military forces to concentrate largely on enforcing a “quarantine” on Venezuelan oil exports for at least the next two months, a U.S. official told Reuters, signalling that Washington is prioritising economic pressure over direct military action against Caracas.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday announced his support for his son Flavio Bolsonaro’s 2026 presidential candidacy while recovering from a planned hernia operation, which doctors said went smoothly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he held an approximately one-hour discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on ways to end the war with Russia.
Polish fighter jets on Thursday intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted it away from their area of responsibility.
On Thursday 25 December, a solemn commemoration ceremony took place in Baku to mark the first anniversary of the tragic Azerbaijan Airlines crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Algeria's parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonisation of the North African state a crime, and demanding an apology and reparations.
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