The UK government has confirmed it will meet NATO's 2.5% of GDP defence spending target by 2027 — two years ahead of the previously stated schedule — in what officials describe as a response to a deteriorating security environment and growing uncertainty about US commitment to European defence.
The Announcement
The Defence Secretary told Parliament that the accelerated timeline would require an additional £8.7 billion in defence spending over the next two years. The money will be found from across the government's departmental budgets, with details of where savings will be made to be confirmed in the next spending review.
The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence — above the NATO minimum of 2% but below the new target many alliance members have set themselves in response to the changed security environment.
What the Money Will Fund
The government has indicated that priority areas for additional spending include: munitions stockpiles (replenishing reserves depleted by supply to Ukraine), personnel (expanding the regular army, which has fallen below its statutory size for the first time), and cyber and space capabilities.
The Transatlantic Context
The acceleration is widely interpreted as a response to uncertainty about the reliability of the US security guarantee. European NATO members have been quietly accelerating defence plans since the US raised questions about the conditionality of its Article 5 commitment. The UK's move ahead of schedule sends a signal of commitment that officials hope will be noticed in Washington.
