Britain must expand its military footprint in the Arctic and High North as the region is increasingly controversial and the government’s defense review will advise you as melted sea ice opens up access.
According to people familiar with the matter, the document is expected to make substantial investments in drones and cutting-edge technologies in the context of a new era of national conflict.
The review will confirm the UK’s “NATO-first” approach to national defense, bringing the security of Britain’s own backyard in the European Atlantic region and fulfilling its obligations to the Union.
Defense Secretary John Healey had previously defied the last Conservative government’s “tilt” toward the Indo-Pacific in defense and foreign policy.
The review was led by an independent team led by former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson and was asked to review the threats facing Britain, the capabilities they encountered, and the status of the armed forces.
The review was severely affected by President Donald Trump’s shift to security policy, including his intention to narrow down the U.S. military resources in Europe.
The timing of the government’s pledge to review publications in the first half of 2025 has been arguing. Defence officials described it as a “iteration process” and submitted a fourth edition to the minister on March 10.
The people said that focusing on the Atlantic region, the review would recommend that Britain strengthen military activities in the High North, including the Arctic.
New transport routes are opening up due to melting ice, which makes the region rich in natural resources, spanning oil, gas, minerals and rare earth metals, and easier to obtain. This has caused influence and control of competition among competitors, including the United States, Russia, China and Nordic countries.
Britain has expressed concerns about Russia’s escalation of militarization in the region, and Gilli went to Norway in February to discuss improving its security.
Meanwhile, Trump put pressure on Denmark to control Greenland on the Arctic Island to the United States, which triggered diplomatic banks.
An industry expert said the recent deployment of snowmobile to the Arctic Circle “indicates the direction of travel.”
Ed Arnold, senior fellow in European security at the Royal Joint Services Institute, said the UK is under pressure to provide tougher military capabilities to Nordic allies.
“They want us to deploy a more comprehensive military presence there because in terms of things like intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and anti-Merlin War, we are the only ones who can mitigate the resources that the United States reconcentrates some of its resources to the Indo-Pacific,” Arnold said.
Deploying more assets and personnel to the High North would be greatly based on the work of the previous Conservative government. Former Conservative Defense Secretary Ben Wallace formulated a new Arctic strategy in 2022 that explains the threat without committing to new investments.
Industry executives said the consensus was broad because the review of the Royal Navy would get more investment than the British army. They said the message from NATO countries in Eastern Europe is that the capabilities of the RAF and the Navy are important, although they do not need land support.
The review is expected to confirm that the UK will invest in the Global Fight Air Program in an initiative between the UK, Italy and Japan to create a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet.
Sir Keir Starmer vowed to increase defence spending from 2.3% in 2027 to 2.5%, worth £6 billion a year, but promised to be less than 2.65% of British military chiefs, meaning that spending dilemma is in the future.
The comment is expected to invest in traditional platforms, including ships, jets and land vehicles, and must be balanced with the development of new, unmanned aerial and offshore systems, as well as other new technologies.
It will also drive further efforts to promote cadets and reserves and improve the Department of Defense’s links with suitable and trained veterans in case of conflict, according to people familiar with the matter.
Ministers have developed plans for the “holistic society” approach, with some officials calling for more attention to democratic values, national resilience and defense in school curriculum.
The review is expected to examine the structure of British cyber personnel, which spans the structure of the Signal Intelligence Agency GCHQ, the Ministry of Defense’s National Cyber Force and other government departments.
According to people familiar with the program, the idea is not to create a common order like “Space Force” in the United States, but to reorganize and rationalize, so the units are not trying to steal each other’s people and have “common air intake mechanisms.”
Some defense figures are driving the review earlier next month in the UK and the EU trying to get a review of a new defense agreement at the summit on May 19 to better impact the NATO meeting on June 24.
The people said other officials hope to release later in June to align with the U.S. Treasury spending review and a broader security strategy led by National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
The Defense Department declined to comment on “speculation,” but added that it aims to “work hard to study the threats we face and the capabilities we need to deal with challenges and opportunities in the 21st century” and will be released as soon as possible.
Other reports by Helen Warrell
