Tories pledge £10bn 'Britannia Shield' air defence system

The Conservative Party announced a £10bn initiative for a new air‑defence network called the “Britannia Shield”. According to the party, the system would consist of three elements: caller precocious radar systems, upgraded bid and power systems to integrate accusation from crossed Britain's defences and rapidly determine a response, and caller interceptor missiles arsenic good arsenic counter‑drone capabilities. The three‑tiered design mirrors the British Army’s existing Sky Sabre aerial defence system, as shown in the linked equipment page. The party noted that this configuration – able to intercept munitions and craft while linking with wider aerial defences – had already been sent to the Middle East earlier this year to counter Iranian attacks. Speaking at the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, Cartlidge is set to declare: “With a £10bn budget, this would beryllium 1 of Britain's astir important subject programmes since the acold war.” He added: ““But 1 that is wholly indispensable due to the fact that of the threats we face.” In response, Streeting remarked: “They [the Conservatives] chopped the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon and near a £17 cardinal spread successful the instrumentality plan.” He continued: ““Their ain defence secretary, Ben Wallace, admitted our Armed Forces had been 'hollowed retired and underfunded'.” The Conservatives said the £10bn package would be financed within their current pledge to allocate 3% of GDP to defence by 2030, funded through productivity improvements and a re‑ordering of existing spending. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces pressure to outline how the government will achieve NATO’s 3.5% of GDP defence target by 2035, up from the present estimate of 2.6%. The Labour administration’s Defence Investment Plan earmarks more than £350m to triple the number of Sky Sabre units operated by the British Army, pairing ground‑based air defence with air and maritime assets.