Hackathons help UK defence tech take flight June 27, 2025 Sandhurst isn’t the first place one might liken to Silicon Valley. Yet, the Royal Military Academy – long a symbol of tradition in British defence – is becoming a new hub for defence technology innovation. At a recent 24 hour defence tech hackathon, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hosted coders, engineers and military veterans alike, [...]
Babcock shares soar as FTSE 100 giant hails ‘new era’ for defence June 25, 2025 Engineering giant Babcock posted a jump in profit for the latest financial year as the firm’s boss hailed a “new era for defence”. The FTSE 100 company – which plays a significant role in supporting the UK’s nuclear submarine program – recorded an 11 per cent increase in revenue to £4.8bn. Meanwhile, operating profit surged [...]
Higher tax ‘inevitable’ as PM makes defence spending pledge June 24, 2025 Keir Starmer’s fresh commitment to ramp up defence spending to five per cent as a share of GDP by 2035 will almost certainly have to be funded by more tax hikes, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)’ Paul Johnson has warned. The government’s pledge to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence and a [...]
Absence of defence spending plan ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ June 20, 2025 The government has been “entirely unsatisfactory” in failing to assess whether their defence spending plans are affordable, a group of senior MPs has said, in a damning assessment of ministers’ transparency. The row comes amid concerns spending on the nuclear deterrent would be higher than first assumed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would [...]
Housing for servicepeople should be ‘defence policy priority’, Tories say June 18, 2025 Housing for servicepeople should be a “defence policy priority”, the Conservatives have said as they unveiled their new defence strategy. On Friday, Iran launched an attack on Israel in retaliation to Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out US involvement, with the caveat that he is “not [...]
Spending Review: IFS chief suggests Treasury ‘making up numbers’ over DOGE-style Whitehall cuts June 12, 2025 The Ministry of Defence and Department for Health and Social Care are slated to see billions cut in Whitehall budgets in what a DOGE-style body within the Treasury described as “efficiency gains” – despite both departments set to see a real terms increase in spending between 2026 and 2029. A new government document has revealed [...]
Spending Review: Reeves promises UK will become defence ‘superpower’ June 11, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged the UK will become a “defence industrial superpower” as she confirmed military spending would rise to 2.6 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) by April 2027. Unveiling the government’s much-anticipated Spending Review, Reeves told the House of Commons: “A new era in the threats we face demands a new [...]
Babcock: FTSE 100 shares double in value to ten-year high June 4, 2025 Shares in Babcock, the FTSE 100 aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services giant, have rocketed to their highest value since 2015 after doubling in price. The London-listed group has enjoyed a bumper 2025 so far, with its share price rising from just over 500p at the start of January to now be priced at more [...]
Nato to pressure UK to spend 3.5 per cent on defence June 3, 2025 The UK will have to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035 as part of a new Nato demand, according to reports, stretching government expenditure far beyond the current 2.5 per cent commitment made by Keir Starmer. The Labour government has agreed to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent from 2027, [...]
FTSE 100 defence stocks: Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock shares surge June 2, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 giants Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock have surged off the back of the UK government unveiled its strategic defence review. Plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines have been included in the 130-page document, which concludes UK must prepare for conflict in Europe or the Atlantic and move [...]