Britain | Here we go again

Britain prepares for its third defence review in four years

Does it want to remain a serious power on land or sea?

 F-35B re-fuel prior to launch. RFA Tidespring in the background during sunset.
Photograph: UK MOD Crown © 2024

IN WHITEHALL THERE is no pastime taken up with greater enthusiasm than a good policy review. At least a dozen are under way in the Foreign Office alone. China policy is going through an “audit”. The AUKUS submarine deal is being assessed. The crown jewel among all these is the strategic defence review—Britain’s third in four years. As it reaches its denouement, Britain’s armed forces are staring down the barrel of dramatic change.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Here we go again”

From the December 21st 2024 edition

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