Government publishes long-awaited defence Integrated Review

Land March 16, 2021

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has set out the conclusions of the Government’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy.

The review, which has been conducted over the last year, is the most comprehensive foreign policy and national security approach published by a British Government since the end of the Cold War.

Encompassing the UK’s national security, foreign policy and approach to the global economy together, the report strategizes the Government’s vision for the UK in 2030 and how its international policy will be used to help achieve it.

The ‘Special Relationship’ between the UK and United States remains a key component in the UK’s foreign policy strategy but Brexit has created a move away from Britain’s perceived traditional role as the go-between for the US with the EU.

The Review makes clear the UK is keen to find a new place within the geopolitical landscape. A key component of this is a shift in foreign policy focus towards countries such as India, Japan and Australia – described by the Government as ‘increasingly the geopolitical centre of the world’.

The document identifies Russia as the “most acute threat” to the UK’s security and warns that a successful chemical, biological or nuclear terror attack by 2030 is ‘likely’.

Tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity were also earmarked as the UK’s number one international priority over the next ten years.

Nuclear weapons

As part of efforts to maintain an effective deterrent, the Review reveals that the UK will no longer seek to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons by the middle of the decade, with the limit on the number of warheads now increasing to 260, having been due to drop to 180 under previous plans from 2010.

Creation of new cross-government hubs

The Prime Minister revealed the creation of two new cross-government hubs. A Situation Centre, based in the Cabinet Office, which will build on the lessons of the Covid pandemic to improve the use of data to anticipate and respond to future crises.

A Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre will also be set up to significantly strengthen the UK’s ability to thwart terrorists, while also dealing with the actions of hostile states.

It will bring together CT police, the intelligence agencies and the criminal justice system to coordinate the Government’s expertise and resources in a state-of-the-art facility to improve our speed of response to terrorist incidents.

Cyber Capability

Also a key focus of the Integrated Review is the bolstering of the UK’s cyber capability.

The home of the new National Cyber Force will be in the North of England, establishing a ‘cyber corridor’ across the region.

It is envisaged that opening the HQ of the National Cyber Force in the North of England will drive growth in the technology, digital and defence sectors outside of London and help create new partnerships between government, the sector and universities in the region, placing it in the international centre of cutting-edge developments to keep people safe.

Defence currently sustains more than 35,000 jobs in the North West of England alone. Digital and cyber jobs will build on the region’s history of being on the cutting edge of defence technology – 10,000 people are employed in maritime design in Barrow and 12,000 people work in advanced aerospace engineering and manufacturing at Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone, where the UK is producing the fifth generation F-35 stealth aircraft.

The North of England is already home to a GCHQ office in Manchester, which is and is Europe’s fastest growing major tech cluster, with more than 15% of Manchester’s population employed by the digital, creative and technology sector.

The National Cyber Force was created last year to transform the UK’s capacity to conduct targeted offensive cyber operations against terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs, bringing together personnel from both defence and the intelligence agencies under one unified command for the first time.

The Prime Minister said: “Cyber power is revolutionising the way we live our lives and fight our wars, just as air power did 100 years ago. We need to build up our cyber capability so we can grasp the opportunities it presents while ensuring those who seek to use its powers to attack us and our way of life are thwarted at every turn.

“Our new, full-spectrum approach to cyber will transform our ability to protect our people, promote our interests around the world and make the lives of British people better every day.”

Science and Technology

The report outlines plans to make the UK a Science and Technology superpower. To help achieve this, the Government will increase economy-wide Research & Development to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and invest £14.6 billion in R&D across government in the next year.

A more active approach to science and technology will be taken, using it to both shape and bolster policy ambitions and to influence the design and use of new technologies in line with the UK’s democratic values.

Speaking the Commons, Mr Johnson said: “The review describes how we will bolster our alliances, strengthen our capabilities, find new ways of reaching solutions and relearn the art of competing against states with opposing values.”