David Cameron announces £1.1bn boost for armed forces
THE PRIME Minister yesterday said the government will invest £1.1bn in the military to fight modern threats to the UK.
The investment will see £800m devoted to a enhanced intelligence package, to provide greater options for special forces to respond to global terror threats in particular. In addition £300m will be spent to provide a new E-scan radar for the Typhoon aircraft and the purchase of a new ice patrol ship, HMS Protector.
David Cameron said: “Because of the difficult decisions we have taken to tackle the deficit we are able to make these vital investments in our defence capabilities.”
Also announced was a new UK Defence Solutions Centre based in Farnborough, to support industry for the development of new defence technologies.
Recent figures by the government showed that UK defence exports increased by 11 per cent to £9.8bn in 2013, with the industry employing over 160,000 people in the UK.