The government is refusing to deny reports that plans to make Britain’s armed forces “war ready” will require billions more than it has allocated so far.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes it will require an extra £28bn over the next four years to meet its forecast costs, according to The Times and The Sun. The department’s investment plan has been delayed, with Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ordering a rewrite of the proposals.The plan was initially supposed to have been completed in autumn last year, but could now not emerge until the spring. The document is due to set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade, following a wide-ranging review of Britain’s capabilities published in June last year.The review pledged billions in extra spending for extra ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines, as ministers pledged to move the UK to “war-fighting readiness”.According to the reports, the projected £28bn shortfall was made by MoD officials in an internal assessment conducted last year.Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, delivered the forecast to Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the run-up to Christmas at a meeting in Downing Street, it is reported.The prime minister’s spokesman said he would not discuss “specific meetings,” but acknowledged that the armed forces were facing additional demands, including a potential deployment to Ukraine to police any deal to end its war with Russia.Asked several times if he could deny there was a £28bn spending gap, he said he could only reiterate the spending pledges already made by the government.The MoD’s budget is due to rise by 3.6% in real terms by 2029, under dep …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnThe government is refusing to deny reports that plans to make Britain’s armed forces “war ready” will require billions more than it has allocated so far.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes it will require an extra £28bn over the next four years to meet its forecast costs, according to The Times and The Sun. The department’s investment plan has been delayed, with Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ordering a rewrite of the proposals.The plan was initially supposed to have been completed in autumn last year, but could now not emerge until the spring. The document is due to set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade, following a wide-ranging review of Britain’s capabilities published in June last year.The review pledged billions in extra spending for extra ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines, as ministers pledged to move the UK to “war-fighting readiness”.According to the reports, the projected £28bn shortfall was made by MoD officials in an internal assessment conducted last year.Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, delivered the forecast to Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the run-up to Christmas at a meeting in Downing Street, it is reported.The prime minister’s spokesman said he would not discuss “specific meetings,” but acknowledged that the armed forces were facing additional demands, including a potential deployment to Ukraine to police any deal to end its war with Russia.Asked several times if he could deny there was a £28bn spending gap, he said he could only reiterate the spending pledges already made by the government.The MoD’s budget is due to rise by 3.6% in real terms by 2029, under dep …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
