The United Kingdom’s new government led by the Labour Party has launched a Strategic Defence Review to identify the resources and capabilities needed to boost all British military domains in response to existing international threats, including the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and Chinese activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
The review was announced after the Labour Party won the U.K. national elections on July 4, ending 14 years of Conservative government.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey, who is tasked to oversee the SDR, said the country needs a new era for defense where hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale do not exist.
Healey previously criticized the Conservative government for spending money on mismanaged procurements and reducing the British Army personnel.
According to the Labour Party, the root and branch review should inform the approach to acquisition to ensure the armed forces will have the required capabilities in a timely manner. It will also assess force structure to create an integrated multi-domain defense capability of the future and identify ways to maintain defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, the Gulf and the Middle East.