UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced plans to accelerate the country’s defense procurement process. This decision follows last week’s announcement of a significant increase in military spending.
Speaking at a conference for British manufacturers, Reeves stated that the government aims to reduce bureaucratic hurdles to speed up weapons deliveries. Authorities also intend to apply lessons learned from the rapid supply of arms to Ukraine to optimize the procurement process.
According to the minister, more contracts will be made available to small and medium-sized enterprises, as they are often the source of innovative developments at the intersection of technology and defense.
Her plans align with a commitment made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously emphasized the need to set spending targets for the Ministry of Defense to collaborate with smaller companies.
At the same time, Reeves acknowledged that while the UK will still need to procure weapons from abroad, the government is working with British defense companies to help them expand their production capacity in response to the current geopolitical situation.
Earlier, on February 25, Keir Starmer announced that the UK’s international aid funding would be reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income starting in 2027. These funds will be redirected to increase defense spending, allowing the UK to reach a 2.5% GDP defense budget.
