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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the launch of the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh to respond to growing global volatility — with emphasis on growing the United Kingdom’s defence spending to counter the threats of great power competition.
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The 2023 Integrated Review Refresh (IR23) confirms that an additional £5 billion (AU$9.09 billion) will be provided to the Ministry of Defence over the next two years, to help replenish and bolster vital ammunition stocks, modernise the UK’s nuclear enterprise, and fund the next phase of the AUKUS submarine program — this follows a £24 billion (AU$43.69 billion) four-year uplift in defence spending in 2020, the largest sustained increase since the Cold War.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also set out an ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP in the longer term, and the UK will lead a conversation with allies on future posture and burden sharing at the NATO Summit in Lithuania this summer.
Prime Minister Sunak said, “By investing in our armed forces for the long-term, we will be ready for the challenges of today and of the future. As I will discuss with our American and Australian allies in the US today, the UK will remain a leading contributor to NATO and a reliable international partner, standing up for our values from Ukraine to the South China Seas.”
IR23 was commissioned to respond to emerging geopolitical threats, from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine to China’s economic coercion and increased competition between states — these trends were identified in the original IR and have intensified in the last two years, with far-reaching consequences for the security and prosperity of the British people.
“As the world becomes more volatile and competition between states becomes more intense, the UK must be ready to stand our ground,” Prime Minister Sunak added.
The report identifies a number of priorities to tackle those threats head-on, the first and foremost is dealing with the fundamental risk posed to European security by Russia, and denying Moscow any benefit from their illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sunak added, “We have seen all too clearly in the last year how global crises impact us at home, with Russia’s appalling invasion of Ukraine driving up energy and food prices. We will fortify our national defences, from economic security to technology supply chains and intelligence expertise, to ensure we are never again vulnerable to the actions of a hostile power.”
The IR Refresh also sets out how the UK will adapt our approach on China to deal with the epoch-defining challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly concerning military, financial, and diplomatic activity.
The British government also expects that the review will contain new measures to bolster the UK’s economic security, technology capabilities, and international development offer in the face of that threat — the Prime Minister has set the direction across government for a consistent, coherent, and robust approach to China, rooted in the national interest and aligned with allies.
IR23 confirms that the UK will continue to play a leading role in Euro-Atlantic security, while also consolidating the strategic shift the United Kingdom achieved with the Indo-Pacific tilt.
