Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Paragraph: 106
Capability decisions made as part of the Review should be informed by the Review’s foreign...
Recommendation
Capability decisions made as part of the Review should be informed by the Review’s foreign policy analysis, threat and risk assessment and defence operating concepts. Defence planning assumptions and the UK’s overall defence posture should be reviewed, and informed by the following questions: a. What platforms, weapons and personnel, readiness and maintenance are required to ensure the resilience, availability and adaptability of the UK’s Armed Forces? b. What “critical mass” is required for our Armed Forces to respond to the threats and risks to the UK? c. What investment and innovation are required to respond to and exploit technological developments? d. Which existing capabilities can be enhanced or retired?
Paragraph Reference:
106
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Third Special Report of Session 2019–21 9 The Integrated Review is a unique moment for Defence to rebalance and prepare our forces for persistent global engagement and campaigning, with the ability to transition between operating and warfighting as required. We are determined to innovate relentlessly and transform, ensuring we have modern Armed Forces to tackle varied threats in an age of constant competition. Instead of mass and mobilisation, we must focus on speed and readiness, operating in the sub-threshold, conflict prevention, and resilience. We are being clear-eyed about providing choices that remove capability with less utility and allow us instead to invest in capabilities that take us from industrial age platforms to an information age of systems. The MOD’s Defence Capability Planning teams are considering a range of possible future operating environments and the likely impact of technological, environmental and population changes, to assess the issues and risks emerging, and propose capabilities to counter the threats across timeframes to 2030 and beyond.