The Ministry of Defence said the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), originally expected in autumn 2025, will be published on Tuesday — around nine months later than planned and just over a week before the NATO leaders summit in Turkey on July 7.
The plan includes £5bn of new investment to increase the armed forces’ use of drones and autonomous weapons, reflecting lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The MoD said Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has spent the last two weeks “refocusing” the DIP to incorporate more lessons from Ukraine and Iran, including how drones have been used to destroy high-value targets.
“The character of warfare is rapidly changing,” Jarvis said in a statement. “In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts. This largest ever UK investment into these evolving technologies will help our Armed Forces stay ahead of our adversaries, backed by the best of our defence industry.”
The plan also calls for scrapping plans to replace ageing warships in favour of building at least six new “hybrid” vessels equipped to deploy drones, according to the MoD.
MSI previously reported that the UK’s military leadership had warned of operational cuts without increased funding. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton told the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee on June 16 that the armed forces would have to “dial back” training and operations unless day-to-day funding increased.
The DIP follows the Strategic Defence Review published in June 2025, which outlined a shift towards “warfighting readiness” and pledged billions in extra spending for ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines.
Starmer said the investment would strengthen the armed forces on land, at sea and in the air. “Today’s defence investment plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future,” he said.
The plan emerged from tense Whitehall negotiations. Earlier this month, the Treasury and No 10 agreed to a £13.5bn funding increase, well short of the £28bn the MoD sought. Jarvis has pushed for additional money in recent weeks and is understood to have secured at least £14bn, according to reports, though it is not clear he obtained any more for the total defence budget.
The funding dispute prompted two ministerial resignations. Healey quit on June 11, saying the DIP fell “well short” of what is needed to protect the UK, and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns also resigned, saying the plan was not “transformative enough” in the face of rapidly evolving warfare.
Opposition parties criticized the plan. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the DIP was “being rushed through because Keir Starmer is desperate for a legacy” and called it inadequate. He said the next prime minister should cut welfare to provide more defence funding.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The government has dangerously short-changed our armed forces when they need urgent investment after years of Conservative negligence. Defence chiefs have been forced to make hard choices, when they should be given what they need.”
Starmer’s decision to publish the DIP in his final weeks as prime minister could create tension with his successor, who may wish to revise defence spending upon taking office. The Sunday Times reported that Andy Burnham, the only candidate to have formally joined the Labour leadership race and widely expected to succeed Starmer next month, has seen the DIP and approved it, though No 10 declined to confirm that on Monday. Burnham has previously said he would reduce the welfare bill by getting more people into work to free up money for defence.
The UK government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by next year and to 3.5% by 2035, in line with NATO commitments. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said earlier this week that he did not expect the UK to meet the 3.5% target “in one big step,” expressing confidence that the spending plan would be credible.