Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
UK's lack of mass and capability delays undermine NATO First approach
Conclusion
The Government has stated its intention to implement a NATO First approach. For this to be meaningful, it must implement SDR recommendations aimed at ensuring that the UK is a better Ally. Witnesses have highlighted a lack of mass, delays in developing promised capabilities in line with NDPP timelines, and a failure by the UK to meet its Article 3 commitments. (Conclusion, Paragraph 33)
Government Response Summary
The government states it has accepted all 62 SDR recommendations, including strengthening the UK's NATO offer, and is implementing the Integrated Force Model, aiming to increase the regular Army to 76,000. It also highlights £1 billion new funding for UK Integrated Air and Missile Defence and measures to protect critical national infrastructure.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
As noted above, the Government has endorsed the SDR’s vision and accepted all of its 62 recommendations, including those around strengthening the UK’s offer to NATO. As recommended in the SDR, Defence is now moving to warfighting readiness and implementing the Integrated Force Model. This aims to deliver a more lethal, agile force by combining conventional strength with greater autonomy, AI, and digital integration. This hybrid approach seeks to reverse the hollowing out of foundational capabilities and ensure the UK can sustain high-intensity operations. The SDR sets the ambition to increase the size of the regular Army. The Secretary of State for Defence said in his oral statement to Parliament on the day of its publication that “we are acting to stem the loss now and aiming to increase the British Army to at least 76,000 full time soldiers into the next parliament”. The Government is focussed on fixing recruitment and retention. The figures in the latest reporting period highlight that for the first time since early 2021, Armed Forces intake is now greater than outflow. The overall strength of the Armed Forces remained stable as of 1 October 2025 compared with 1 October 2024. In the 12 months preceding 1 October 2025 there was an increase of 13% in people joining the Armed Forces, compared with the previous 12-month period. At the same time there was a decrease of 8% in people leaving the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces continue to see increased numbers of applications. National and collective resilience are rooted in Article 3 and much of the UK’s effort towards increasing resilience and the widening of whole of society participation in this effort will be delivered through the UK’s Home Defence Programme (HDP). This approach reinforces our commitments made at the NATO Vilnius, Washington, and Hague Summits. To support our NATO Article 3 commitments, we are investing up to £1 billion of new funding for UK Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) during this Parliament. We have established a new Cyber and Electromagnetic further measures to protect critical national infrastructure (CNI), including undersea cables and pipelines, coordinated by the Royal Navy. In November 2025, HMS Prince of Wales and her 5th-generation advanced F-35 fighter jets were put under NATO command, significantly increasing NATO’s lethality and readiness. Defence continues to play a key role in the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Plan by reviewing and enhancing security and resilience across Defence, strengthening command and control plans, and identifying legislative measures for the proposed Defence Readiness Bill to underpin enduring preparedness in Defence and across HMG.