UK and US Weapons Production: Britain wants to work more closely with the United States to develop and produce weapons faster. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said both countries need to make it easier for companies to share technology and build more military equipment. He made these remarks during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Streeting said having advanced weapons isn’t enough if countries can’t produce them in large numbers. NATO allies must also be able to replace weapons used during a war and keep supplies available for a long time.
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Streeting pointed to the F-35 fighter aircraft programme and the AUKUS security partnership as examples of how countries can work together while investing in their own industries.
British companies produce around 15% of each F-35 aircraft. More than 100 UK Tier-1 suppliers are involved in the programme, supporting over 20,000 jobs. Streeting also said Britain’s active Foreign Military Sales portfolio with the US is worth more than $11 billion.
Under AUKUS, the US is investing in submarine manufacturing while Britain is putting significant money into its Defence Nuclear Enterprise. Streeting said these partnerships can help both countries strengthen their military industries. He also warned against countries treating local production and international cooperation as competing goals.
“It makes no sense to pitch Buy British against Made in Europe against America First,” he said. “It should not be an ‘either or’ choice.”
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Streeting said NATO countries must improve how quickly they develop, order and manufacture military equipment. He believes industrial production should be treated as an important part of military planning, alongside preparing soldiers and armed forces.
“A prototype can demonstrate our ingenuity,” he said. “But it is production at scale that turns ingenuity into military power.”
He named drones, uncrewed vessels, advanced fighter aircraft and artificial intelligence (AI) as key areas where Britain and the US could work together. He also said military equipment should be designed to work with allied forces from the beginning.
Britain plans to reduce the time needed to purchase and develop new equipment. Streeting outlined the following targets:
- Cut the time from the initial idea to signing a contract from six years to two years.
- Reduce the process from three years to one year.
- Complete some buying processes in less than three months.
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The UK has already made progress with faster defence projects. Streeting cited RAVEN, a ground-launched air-defence system developed for Ukraine. The industry received a short two-sentence description of what the military needed and delivered the system in four months. The first eight systems cost less than $25 million..
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Streeting said Britain is also learning from the war in Ukraine. The UK now has access to Ukraine’s Avengers Lab military AI platform. It uses information from the battlefield to help improve soldiers’ understanding of the situation and identify targets more accurately.
British universities, researchers and technology companies are using this information to develop new military AI tools. The aim is to use real battlefield experience to improve future equipment while the lessons are still useful
Britain also plans to increase its defence spending to 3.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. Streeting said European countries must take more responsibility for their own security while keeping their strong links with the US through NATO.
The UK is working with European allies to develop NATO’s next generation of long-range strike weapons. Streeting said higher defence budgets must lead to real improvements in equipment and production. Simply spending more money won’t be enough if the armed forces still have to wait years for the weapons they need.
He ended by stressing the difference between spending money on defence and having the ability to protect the country.
“Defence spending is the measure of our commitment,” Streeting said. “Defence capability is the measure of our credibility.”
