Conclusion 131

In December 2023, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Financial and Military Capability) told us that there had been recognition of the importance of trying “to make sure that our pipeline of munitions is always on, rather than boom and bust” and that the MOD were now working with industry to secure long-term contracts. He explained that the UK Armed Forces have “shifted from what we would say in the military as ‘operating’ in various parts of the world to now ‘deterring’, but being prepared to war-fight if necessary [which] means long-term commitment to industry”.265 The Director General Strategic Enablers and Deputy CEO at Defence Equipment & Support explained that those long term commitments allowed industry to invest in skills generation: There is scaling of things in the munitions complex, where we need to build long-term pipelines. The surety of contract you talked about allows [industry] to build the skills pipelines and training academies that need to be there.266 There is a broader economic argument for investing in the skills being taught through apprenticeships and training in defence industry and the Armed Forces as they are also required in other sectors of the economy that the UK is seeking to grow. For instance, skills required in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise are also needed in the civil nuclear workforce.267 Similarly, digital skills required for defence are also of benefit to the wider UK economy.268