British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he is moving the United Kingdom’s military into “war-fighting readiness” to address growing threats from Russia. 

During a visit to BAE Systems’Govan facility, a navy ship-building yard in Glasgow, Scotland, the prime minister laid out “three fundamental changes” to be made in response to the country’s strategic defense review. 

“First, we are moving to war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces,” Starmer said. “When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready. And frankly, to show them that we’re ready, to deliver peace through strength.” 

The third change laid out by Starmer is for the U.K. to “innovate and accelerate at a wartime pace so we can meet the threats of today and of tomorrow as the fastest innovator in NATO.” He said such advancements would not mean “replacing people” or hardware, but would rather mean “learning the lessons of Ukraine” and ensuring “every capability we have works seamlessly together.”

“Drones, destroyers, AI, aircraft, each different branch of our armed services, fully integrated to create an army which is 10 times more lethal by 2035,” Starmer said. 

The U.K. government said it’s expanding the country’s armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet with up to 12 new SSN-AUKUS boats through a partnership with Australia and the United States. The government also says it will invest 15 billion pounds in Britain’s nuclear arsenal, which consists of missiles carried on a handful of submarines. Details of those plans are likely to be kept secret.

Starmer has already pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, a boost from the current 2.3%, and to eventually get that up to 3%.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his speech during a visit to the BAE Systems’Govan facility, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday June 2, 2025.  (Andy Buchanan, Pool Photo via AP)

GB News noted at the press conference Monday that Starmer hasn’t committed to having 3% of the GDP go to defense spending within the next nine years, even as Germany’s defense chief warned Russia could invade a NATO ally within the next four years. In his response, Starmer reiterated the U.K. as a “steadfast ally” to Ukraine and said the changes coming as a result of the review would be the best way to deter further conflict. 

The U.K. government will also increase Britain’s conventional weapons stockpiles with up to 7,000 U.K.-built long-range weapons.

Starmer said rearming would create a “defense dividend” of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs – a contrast to the post-Cold War “peace dividend” that saw Western nations channel money away from defense into other areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.