June 29, 2026
Britain's nine-month delay in setting out its defence spending plans to meet a rising threat from Russia has forced some small suppliers to collapse, others to hold off investments and many more to expand abroad instead.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is finally expected to publish the Defence Investment Plan on Tuesday, one of his final acts before he steps down in July, after his defence and finance departments spent months arguing over how to fill an estimated £28 billion shortfall.
Many companies in the sector say that delay has damaged the UK's military supply base and potentially the government's efforts to make its cash-strapped forces war-ready.
"We need the DIP to provide the confidence to private investors to scale investment," said Shefali Sharma, chief executive of Oxford Dynamics, an AI defence company. "Currently its absence is costing businesses."
