The Conservatives have pledged to build a £10bn integrated air-defence system to protect the UK from missile and drone attacks if they win the next general election. The proposed system, dubbed ‘Britannia Shield’, would involve an improved network of radar, command and control systems, and interceptor missiles to protect critical national infrastructure and military bases from aerial threats.
Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge will say in a speech to the party’s annual conference on Tuesday that the shield would represent “the most significant upgrade to UK air defence for generations” and “would be one of Britain’s most significant military programmes since the cold war”. Promising to spend £10bn over a decade, the Tories’ proposed budget is over 10 times the £1bn funding that the Labour government has set aside for the same purpose in its 2025 Strategic Defence Review.
However, it falls far short of the billions spent on Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’, ‘David’s Sling’ and Arrow anti-missile defences, which defend against frequent ballistic missiles and drone attacks. Experts estimate the cost for a state of the art system for the UK is much higher than the Conservatives’ plan. General Sir Richard Barrons, co-author of the Strategic Defence Review and former commander of joint forces command, said in testimony before the House of Commons defence committee in July: “The cost of an Iron Dome at entry level is probably £80bn over 10 years.”
The need for stronger protections from missiles and drones has been illustrated by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Defending Britain in a more dangerous world will be the core theme at the Conservatives’ conference in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing