Ministry Of Defence
Well, good afternoon, and thank you, Neil, for that introduction, and Im delighted to see all of you here at DSEI 2023.
This is the biggest DSEI in history with 40,000 people visiting and 1,500 exhibitors during the week.
And of course, its the first since the invasion of Ukraine, and Im particularly pleased to welcome the delegation from Ukraine. Your time is especially precious, and I truly appreciate you joining us and what a fitting use of our time.
So today Ill outline our plan for the renewal of the British Army. A renewal guided by a new land operating concept, and underpin crucially by a closer relationship with allies, partners and industry.
Together, well seize the opportunity presented by the defence Equipment Plan, which gives the Army 41 billion pounds over 10 years.
Our job is to responsibly commit this money and demonstrate a return on that investment to generate credible warfighting capability and to contribute to an increasingly vibrant industrial base skills and exports. Weve got a tested and robust plan and were ready to implement it.
A DSEI two years ago, in 2021, my predecessor suggested that rather than thinking of ourselves as weve tended to do as a post war generation, we should contemplate what it might feel like to be a 21st century, pre-war generation. As events show we are now that pre-war generation, and it comes with a responsibility that we cannot show.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Putins Russia is increasingly isolated, and the world is tiring of its disinformation narrative. The war has showcased Ukrainian defiance, NATO unity, and provided the most potent accelerant to the changes that were already evident in 2021.
We recognise this moment at the British Army, and we mobilised with a clear purpose to protect the nation by being ready to fight and win wars on land.
As I outlined at RUSI in June, the Armys mobilisation is broad and deep, driven by a pretty pitiless reflection on our own situation. So we mobilised our conceptual thinking, our equipment, our training, our productivity, and we reaffirm that land matters less there is any doubt. And we mobilised our partnership with you, industry, and Ill return to that later.
Together, were providing battle winning equipment, and support to the Ukrainians. But theres no room for complacency or self-congratulation. The hard-fought Ukrainian counter offensive continues. And weve got to ensure that their bravery, their sacrifice, and their skill are matched by our collective commitments.
But with around a third of Russian government spending, now flowing to defence theyre clearly in for the long haul. And we have to be ready for what may follow.
Like many other nations, and defence industries, weve studied the war carefully identifying valuable lessons, which is shaping our decisions about the future.
At RUSI, I trailed our initial response to these lessons, and weve forged a credible plan for the British Armys renewal. Renewal to make sure that we can fight the war we may have to fight. A renewal, founded in hard won lessons of the past, orientated to the future, to ensure that we emerge, more lethal, more agile, expeditionary, and resilient, all underpinned by our digital framework. And this renewal is delivering now and gathering momentum.
So first, weve renewed our thinking. The land operating concepts, is providing the Capstone conceptual benchmark for the British Army, a single battle winning approach that anchors our design and capability decisions with a modular and adjustable framework.
Endorsed by defence, widespread peer review and tested through 55 days of Wargaming. It is the most robust evidence to inclusive piece of conceptual thinking that the Army has produced in over three decades. This place is the British Army at the intellectual edge of land warfare, able to lead in NATO and support our sister services across all domains.
And in the immediate term, recognising the risks of Russian recapitalisation, and further aggression. The Field Army has developed a robust, practical answer to the challenge of how will we fight in 2026 with the Army that we have now. And this will lead to a series of adjustments in how the Field Army has configured, connected, manoeuvres and trains through the course from now through to 2026.
Second, were renewing our training. Modern Warfare demands the renewal of leadership training, but also the creation of digital training and the recognition that new capabilities require new skills.
Were responding to the operating environment that we see in Ukraine.
So for example, Im struck by the fact that in the evolving Ukrainian drone campaign, 40% of losses are attributable to pilot error. When the electromagnetic spectrum is so heavily contested, and automation fails, to skill of the pilots predominance. So we need warfighters whether theyre cyber specialists, drone pilots, or infantry soldiers to be stronger, faster, more intelligent and more resilient.
So marking the most significant step in professionalising military leadership since the Royal Military College was founded in 1801. Were implementing the British Army soldier Academy this year, and the British Army NCO academy next year, to maximise the potential of every soldier and equip our NCOs with the skills they need to meet the demands of the modern battlefield.
And if you want a marker for our commitment, look no further than our record on apprenticeships. The British Army has retained the number one employer spot for apprentices nationally for an unprecedented third year in a row with approximately 15,000 soldiers on program at any time around the globe, delivering over 38 Different apprenticeships in 10 or 15 trade sectors.
Were investing in our people and perhaps your future employees because its not armies that win war, nations do and its our combined strength that provides the UKs deterrence.
Were also renewing our approach to people.
The Etherton and Haythornthwaite reviews hold us to account, helping us progress the high standards expected of the nations army and ensuring that we attract, recruit, and retain the very best of society.
Our approach under Op TEAMWORK is in its third year and at the end of this month, were launching a transformational five-year programme. Its clear from that that our people want more.
Op TEAMWORK work revealed that over 75% of those surveyed welcomed the opportunity to address issues that matter to them, including a shift in focus from inappropriate behaviours, to one of professionalism. Were encouraging challenge, ownership of actions, continual learning and inclusiveness to ensure our teams have the diversity of thought to innovate and win on the modern battlefield.
And were renewing our structure.
To guided by the land operating concepts. Were adapting our form to follow function and our structural adaptation is ruthlessly aligned to our purpose being ready to fight and win wars on land.
The first UK division will take 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team under commands now and from 2024 will provide the Land Component Command of a joint and multi domain sovereign Global Response Force and agile tool of foreign policy to deliver rapid global effects and be first to the fight. This is a return to fielding a second battle winning divisional headquarters
Weve enhanced the third UK division to warfight under the Allied Rapid Reaction call, the UKs NATO corps. And well refine the arc to deliver a core level strategic response force by 2024. Under the NATO force model, optimised for NATO is deep battle.
This will be underpinned by our Special Operations Forces offered to NATO for the first time and the Army Reserve that the nation needs for warfighting and Homeland Defense. So by restructuring the 6th UK divisions elements into the field army, we can elevate land Special Operations and specialist capabilities including Information Operations outputs to component level, and this enables smarter task organisation, the power of combinations and exploits the field armies broad connectivity and access to multi domain capabilities.
I spoke a few minutes ago about the significance of UAS - unmanned aerial systems - in Ukraine, and by the end of this year will form a new UAS group within a reorientated Joint Aviation Command. This expanded JAC remit will bring deep, deep expertise and the coherence that the new defence uncrewed strategy requires and itll provide a focal point the industry, around which we intend to develop the next generation of UAS platforms in even closer partnership.
And finally, were doubling our cyber and electronic warfare signals intelligence workforce, feeding hundreds into the National Cyber force. We already deliver Europes largest global cyber exercise. Thats exercise CYBER MARVEL, and with an investment of 1.3 billion pounds into a full range of world leading mounted EW, SIGINT, cyber and ECM capability, were accelerating the army towards data centricity, and digital transformation.
And while warfighting must be our focus, and the NATO Euro Atlantic Theatre, our geographic priority, the Army has a globally deployed footprint and it will remain an agile and adaptable tool of foreign policy.
So the Army already provides the UKs largest permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific region through the Brunei Joint Task Force, deploying 11 teams to 11 partner countries in the region, demonstrating the UKs commitment and helping partner nations become more resilient and capable.
And well also maximise the impact of our existing network throughout Africa and the Middle East, developing strategic partnerships that serve both to