LONDON: Britain has announced the biggest investment in its military since the end of the Cold War, despite the coronavirus crisis pummelling the economy, as the government seeks to define its post-Brexit role on the world stage.
In a speech to parliament on Thursday outlining the first conclusions from the biggest review of foreign policy and defence in three decades, Johnson will announce an extra £16.5 billion pounds for the military over the next four years. The defence budget is now just under £42 billion a year. “The international situation is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War and Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies. To achieve this, we need to upgrade our capabilities across the board.”
The government said the increased military spending will cement the United Kingdom’s position as the largest defence spender in Europe, the second-largest in NATO, and allow increased investment in areas such as cyber and space.