Latest news with #SteadfastDart2025
Scottish Sun
15-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain will pay with blood of its people if it doesn't wake up now – world must fear us, Penny Mordaunt warns
A second ex-defence secretary warned Putin will not be 'deterred by ambition' READY TO FIGHT Britain will pay with blood of its people if it doesn't wake up now – world must fear us, Penny Mordaunt warns Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN will pay with the blood of its people if more money isn't spent to bolster the UK's defence, Penny Mordaunt has warned. The ex-defence secretary has urged the government to "wake up" and fund the UK's security properly before it's too late. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 British Army M270B1 Multiple Launch Rocket System firing the M31 GMLRS munition at a training drill in Lapland Credit: Ian Whittaker 6 British servicemen at the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise, involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries from nine nations Credit: AP 6 Penny Mordaunt has urged the government to up its spending on defence Credit: PA Former Navy reservist Mordaunt argued that Britain is "emboldening our enemies" if we fail to invest in other forms of deterrence. She warned the consequences with be "incalculably grave" if the government does not open up the treasury purse. Ms Mordaunt told The Sun: "I'm confident that if you prepare for war, you invest in it, you train for it, then conflicts don't start. "Because your foes know it is not worth them doing that. They're going to lose. "The consequences of retaliation against them are too great." Ms Mordaunt's call was echoed by Sir Liam Fox - defence secretary from 2010 to 2011 - who warned the greatest threat to the UK right now comes from Russia. "Frankly, Putin is not going to be deterred by ambition," he told The Sun. "He's deterred by hard power." It comes as the government this month released its much-anticipated Defence Review, which provided a catalogue of recommendations on how to respond to external threats. The review - led by ex-Nato chief Lord Robertson - urges the UK to move to a position of "war-readiness". Britain is our enemy number one, Russians say as new poll puts UK above even Ukraine as Moscow's top foe This could be achieved through numerous commitments to scale up defence capabilities - including a £1.5 billion investment in an "always on" pipeline for munitions, the review said. But the Spending Review this week failed to fulfil the suggestions made by Lord Robertson - including to agree to Nato calls to ramp up investment to 3.5 per cent of GDP. US president Donald Trump previously demanded the UK boost defence spending to five per cent of GDP. It comes after Keir Starmer last week vowed to make Britain "battle-ready" and insisted the threat from Russia could not be ignored. Ms Mordaunt said: "The US President pressed us to go further. The Prime Minister said we needed to deliver on all fronts to keep Britian's people safe and their interests secure. "Not to do so would be a dereliction of his first duty. I was hopeful. "This week we discovered that, behind Treasury smoke and mirrors, defence will received nothing. "No extra funds, no plan to reach Nato's ask, no assurance to unlock industrial investment, no reassurance to donor allies like the US, or recipient allies such as Ukraine, that we are a serious partner. "The consequences of this are incalculably grave. High tax, high borrowing Labour is back By Jack Elsom, Political Editor ONE phrase that Rachel Reeves repeated four times cuts to the nub of her economic plans: 'These are Labour choices'. But not the cuddly, business-friendly Labour that we were promised before the election - instead the old-school variety of high taxes and high borrowing. Her £300billion spending hike means she can point to shiny news infrastructure projects and talk the language of 'renewal'. It is a high-stakes strategy designed to win over working class voters that Labour is bleeding to Reform, who Ms Reeves devoted time in her statement to attack. Many of those flocking to Nigel Farage do so out of growing despair that - in his words - 'Britain is broken'. It is why she made big plays on ploughing money into defence, the NHS and ending migrant hotels. But they won't thank the Chancellor if she is forced to put their taxes up even more in the Autumn… "If the Prime minister believed what he told us about the threats we face then government must alter its plans." It comes as threats to the UK's security loom large from rogue nations such as Russia. And meanwhile the Middle East sits on the brink of war, with Starmer moving military assets in after Israel and Iran fiercely clashed. Vladimir Putin continues to throw soldiers into his meatgrinder war in Ukraine which shows no sign of stopping after more than three years. The bloodthirsty tyrant has repeatedly threatened Western nations - including Britain - over their support of Kyiv. A series of suspicious incidents including undersea cables being cut in suspected sabotage attacks are also a real cause for concern. And this week, Britain was declared as Russia's enemy number one - even above Ukraine and the United States. Ms Mordaunt warned: "We need to wake up Europe and we need to wake up in Britain. "If we don't start funding these foundational capabilities, we are going to end up having to spend more money in the future. "And it won't just be money we're spending. It will be the blood of our own citizens because we'll be in a conflict somewhere." 6 Putin has repeatedly threatened the West Credit: Getty 6 Ukrainian servicemen of Khartya brigade operate a D-30 howitzer Credit: Getty Sir Fox - who praised Lord Robertson's "sensible" defence review - insisted defence is the "number one" job of the government. He added: "The problem is the same problem we've had for a long time, which is that the governments like to make a lot of noise about defence - but the treasuries don't open the cheque books. "There's a real problem in European governments in particular, which includes outs, that we enjoyed the peace dividend after the Cold War and thought it would last forever. "And therefore we could increase our domestic spending on welfare and everything else. And that's fine because the defence budget could stay much lower. "Well, defence is not a discretionary spend. "If they were useless at anything else, the one thing they have to be good at is protecting British citizens from outside threats. "And that means they have to spend whatever is necessary in response to that threat, not what they would like to spend in a perfect world." Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1MILLION by Patrick Harrington and Sayan Bose PUTIN's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of a war he expected to win within days. Ukraine's fierce resistance has ensured Russia has paid a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers, because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his battle plan. READ MORE HERE
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Britain will pay with blood of its people if it doesn't wake up now – world must fear us, Penny Mordaunt warns
BRITAIN will pay with the blood of its people if more money isn't spent to bolster the UK's defence, Penny Mordaunt has warned. The ex-defence secretary has urged the government to "wake up" and fund the UK's security properly before it's too late. 6 British Army M270B1 Multiple Launch Rocket System firing the M31 GMLRS munition at a training drill in Lapland Credit: Ian Whittaker 6 British servicemen at the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise, involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries from nine nations Credit: AP 6 Penny Mordaunt has urged the government to up its spending on defence Credit: PA Former Navy reservist She warned the consequences with be "incalculably grave" if the government does not open up the treasury purse. Ms Mordaunt told The Sun: "I'm confident that if you prepare for war, you invest in it, you train for it, then conflicts don't start. "Because your foes know it is not worth them doing that. They're going to lose. More world news "The consequences of retaliation against them are too great." Ms Mordaunt's call was echoed by Sir Liam Fox - defence secretary from 2010 to 2011 - who warned the greatest threat to the UK right now comes from Russia. "Frankly, Putin is not going to be deterred by ambition," he told The Sun. "He's deterred by hard power." Most read in The Sun It comes as the government this month released its much-anticipated Defence Review, which provided a catalogue of recommendations on how to respond to external threats. The review - led by ex-Nato chief Lord Robertson - urges the UK to move to a position of "war-readiness". Britain is our enemy number one, Russians say as new poll puts UK above even Ukraine as Moscow's top foe This could be achieved through numerous commitments to scale up defence capabilities - including a £1.5 billion investment in an "always on" pipeline for munitions, the review said. But the Spending Review this week failed to fulfil the suggestions made by Lord Robertson - including to agree to Nato calls to ramp up investment to 3.5 per cent of GDP. US president Donald Trump previously demanded the UK boost defence spending to five per cent of GDP. It comes after Keir Starmer last week vowed to make Britain "battle-ready" and insisted the threat from Russia could not be ignored. Ms Mordaunt said: "The US President pressed us to go further. The Prime Minister said we needed to deliver on all fronts to keep Britian's people safe and their interests secure. "Not to do so would be a dereliction of his first duty. I was hopeful. "This week we discovered that, behind Treasury smoke and mirrors, defence will received nothing. "No extra funds, no plan to reach Nato's ask, no assurance to unlock industrial investment, no reassurance to donor allies like the US, or recipient allies such as Ukraine, that we are a serious partner. "The consequences of this are incalculably grave. High tax, high borrowing Labour is back By Jack Elsom, Political Editor ONE phrase that Rachel Reeves repeated four times cuts to the nub of her economic plans: 'These are Labour choices'. But not the cuddly, business-friendly Labour that we were promised before the election - instead the old-school variety of high taxes and high borrowing. Her £300billion spending hike means she can point to shiny news infrastructure projects and talk the language of 'renewal'. It is a high-stakes strategy designed to win over working class voters that Labour is bleeding to Reform, who Ms Reeves devoted time in her statement to attack. Many of those flocking to Nigel Farage do so out of growing despair that - in his words - 'Britain is broken'. It is why she made big plays on ploughing money into defence, the NHS and ending migrant hotels. But they won't thank the Chancellor if she is forced to put their taxes up even more in the Autumn… "If the Prime minister believed what he told us about the threats we face then government must alter its plans." It comes as threats to the UK's security loom large from rogue nations such as Russia. And meanwhile the Middle East sits on the brink of war, with Starmer moving military assets in after Vladimir Putin continues to throw soldiers into his meatgrinder war in Ukraine which shows no sign of stopping after more than three years. The bloodthirsty tyrant has repeatedly threatened Western nations - including Britain - over their support of Kyiv. A series of suspicious incidents including undersea cables being cut in suspected sabotage attacks are also a real cause for concern. And this week, Britain was declared as Russia's enemy number one - even above Ukraine and the United States. Ms Mordaunt warned: "We need to wake up Europe and we need to wake up in Britain. "If we don't start funding these foundational capabilities, we are going to end up having to spend more money in the future. "And it won't just be money we're spending. It will be the blood of our own citizens because we'll be in a conflict somewhere." 6 Putin has repeatedly threatened the West Credit: Getty 6 Ukrainian servicemen of Khartya brigade operate a D-30 howitzer Credit: Getty Sir Fox - who praised Lord Robertson's "sensible" defence review - insisted defence is the "number one" job of the government. He added: "The problem is the same problem we've had for a long time, which is that the governments like to make a lot of noise about defence - but the treasuries don't open the cheque books. "There's a real problem in European governments in particular, which includes outs, that we enjoyed the peace dividend after the Cold War and thought it would last forever. "And therefore we could increase our domestic spending on welfare and everything else. And that's fine because the defence budget could stay much lower. "Well, defence is not a discretionary spend. "If they were useless at anything else, the one thing they have to be good at is protecting British citizens from outside threats. "And that means they have to spend whatever is necessary in response to that threat, not what they would like to spend in a perfect world." Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1MILLION by Patrick Harrington and Sayan Bose PUTIN's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of a war he expected to win within days. Ukraine's fierce resistance has ensured Russia has paid a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers, because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his battle plan. READ MORE HERE 6
Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Nuclear strikes, secret bunkers for Royals, & massive cyber attacks… how Britain is secretly bracing for war with Russia
BRITAIN is bracing for a devastating war with Russia - with plans to bolster security, create bunkers for the Royals and prevent massive cyber attacks. Government officials are racing to update decades-old contingency plans amid fears the nation is not ready for a potential attack from the Kremlin. 5 British soldiers before the start of Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise - involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries Credit: AP 5 British soldiers practice an assault on February 17, 2025 in Smardan, Romania Credit: Getty 5 British troops load a 105MM Howitzer in Norway during war drills Credit: PA 5 Royal Marine Commandos take up position on a beach in Harvstad, Norway after swimming ashore during a training exercise Credit: PA 5 The classified "home defence plan" would lay out how Downing Street will respond if Vladimir Putin declares war on the UK, including putting the Royal Family into bunkers. Ministers worry Britain could be outfought by Russia on the battlefield, but also poorly defended at home as things stand. Experts have warned that the country's national infrastructure is vulnerable ahead of the release of Labour's Strategic Defence Review - an examination of the Armed Forces. As military warfare has evolved in the past two decades, fears are that Putin could launch a combination of attacks, including conventional ballistic missile strikes, sabotage and the latest tactic in the Russian playbook - cyberwarfare. But Britain, which is just beginning to review and revise its security and contingency plans for the first time in more than 20 years - is feared not to be fully prepared to go to war against the Russians. Former Nato commander Colonel Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "Britain is very much in the sights of Putin's derision, and we are the ones likely to be attacked first. "Britain really has got to dust off its contingency plans. Over 20 years of neglect, and we understand that's exactly what this report is about at the moment." Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp, who was working in the Cabinet Office when the contingency plans were last updated, told The Sun: "Contingency plans like this should be updated frequently. Twenty years is far too long, especially given the radically changed threat picture. "Putin has said Britain is in his crosshairs since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Even before then, he proved he was willing to attack this country, including with a nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018. We should take him seriously." The classified plan by the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate - which was last updated in 2005 - would set out war strategies in the event of a catastrophic attack by the Russians, which could well involve tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The plan is based on the War Book, a Cold War dossier of instructions for government response to nuclear attacks. Under such plans, Britain could be divided into 12 zones, each governed by Cabinet ministers, and food rationed. The plans will include scenarios like widespread sabotage and crippling cyber warfare, which were seen as a limited threat back when the document was last updated. It will also direct the PM on how to run a wartime government, as well as strategies for travel networks, courts and the postal system, reports the Daily Telegraph. Although the highly-classified document is expected to never be revealed in the public domain, military experts suggest what could be changed to prepare us for a potential war against the Russians. Colonel Bretton-Gordon said that cyber attacks will be given a major chunk of attention in the latest round of updates. He believes the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) would be given additional funding to improve the existing measures against cyber attackers. There is particular concern for the country's five active nuclear power stations, which if damaged by strikes, could release radioactive material across the country, resulting in long-term impact. In the event of an all-out war against Vladimir Putin, members of the Royal family and key government officials will be sent to secret hideout bunkers to protect them. Food circulation and modern logistics systems will be made more robust to ensure essential items can reach people whenever there is a need. And the public will be made more aware of their wartime duties. Bretton-Gordon added: "Plans will be to make sure our critical infrastructure is as secure as it can be. "There will be contingency plans. If one nuclear power station goes down, then other power infrastructure can take up the slack. "During the Cold War, the people probably had a lot of training and expertise to deal with contaminated nuclear casualties, but the situation has probably changed now. "These are the sort of things that just need to be reviewed, so that in the event this happens, it's not a complete shock." "We are up against an autocratic tyrant who has absolutely no concern for collateral damage or civilian casualties. "I'm sure Putin wouldn't think twice about firing a missile, nuclear or conventional, at London cities and the UK's critical national infrastructure." Meanwhile, Colonel Kemp warned that Russia could attack Britain in several ways that could wreak havoc on nation - and our armed forces are simply not prepared enough to fight Putin's troops. He added: "We could be the target of large-scale ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone, cyber, chemical and even nuclear strikes as well as sabotage. "I would hope that what has recently been happening in Ukraine and the Middle East has galvanised our leaders so that we are prepared. But we have a huge amount of ground to make up." "The best way to avoid such things happening to us is deterring an attack. That means we need to substantially increase our own offensive as well as defensive capabilities." NOT GOOD ENOUGH The Cabinet Office ran a risk assessment in January in which it modelled a scenario in which a hostile foreign state launched various types of attack on the UK's infrastructure. It found that any such successful strike could be devastating. A senior RAF official said last month if Russia had attacked the UK in the same way as it had Ukraine more than three years ago - within hours missiles would have broken through defences and destroyed key targets. Military experts agree that Britain's air defence systems are not adequate to thwart a large-scale missile attack. Colonel Kemp said: "One of our major weaknesses is air defence, both for our forces and homeland defence. "Putin has significant long-range missile and attack drone capability, which could be used against us. "The other day, a Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen penetrated Israel's air defences and struck their international airport. "Israel has the most comprehensive and advanced air and missile defence systems in the world. "That shows how vulnerable any country can be to attack, and we have nothing even approaching Israel's capabilities." Bretton-Gordon added: " I expect, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, a lot of focus will be on air defence. "But it's not just missiles and fighter jets, the Ukraine war shows how effective drone warfare could be."
The Irish Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Nuclear strikes, secret bunkers for Royals, & massive cyber attacks… how Britain is secretly bracing for war with Russia
BRITAIN is bracing for a devastating war with Russia - with plans to bolster security, create bunkers for the Royals and prevent massive cyber attacks. Government officials are racing to update decades-old contingency plans amid fears the nation is not ready for a potential attack from the Kremlin. Advertisement 5 British soldiers before the start of Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise - involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries Credit: AP 5 British soldiers practice an assault on February 17, 2025 in Smardan, Romania Credit: Getty 5 British troops load a 105MM Howitzer in Norway during war drills Credit: PA 5 Royal Marine Commandos take up position on a beach in Harvstad, Norway after swimming ashore during a training exercise Credit: PA 5 The classified "home defence plan" would lay out how Downing Street will respond if Vladimir Putin declares war on the UK, including putting the Royal Family into bunkers. Ministers worry Britain could be outfought by Russia on the battlefield, but also poorly defended at home as things stand. Experts have warned that the country's national infrastructure is vulnerable ahead of the release of Labour's Strategic Defence Review - an examination of the Armed Forces. As military warfare has evolved in the past two decades, fears are that Putin could launch a combination of attacks, including conventional ballistic missile strikes, sabotage and the latest tactic in the Russian playbook - cyberwarfare. Advertisement But Britain, which is just beginning to review and revise its security and contingency plans for the first time in more than 20 years - is feared not to be fully prepared to go to war against the Russians. Former Nato commander Colonel Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "Britain is very much in the sights of Putin's derision, and we are the ones likely to be attacked first. "Britain really has got to dust off its contingency plans. Over 20 years of neglect, and we understand that's exactly what this report is about at the moment." Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp, who was working in the Cabinet Office when the contingency plans were last updated, told The Sun: "Contingency plans like this should be updated frequently. Twenty years is far too long, especially given the radically changed threat picture. Advertisement Most read in The Sun "Putin has said Britain is in his crosshairs since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Even before then, he proved he was willing to attack this country, including with a nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018. We should take him seriously." The classified plan by the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate - which was last updated in 2005 - would set out war strategies in the event of a catastrophic attack by the Russians, which could well involve tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The plan is based on the War Book, a Cold War dossier of instructions for government response to nuclear attacks. Advertisement Under such plans, Britain could be divided into 12 zones, each governed by Cabinet ministers, and food rationed. The plans will include scenarios like widespread sabotage and crippling cyber warfare, which were seen as a limited threat back when the document was last updated. It will also direct the PM on how to run a wartime government, as well as strategies for travel networks, courts and the postal system, reports the Daily Telegraph. Although the highly-classified document is expected to never be revealed in the public domain, military experts suggest what could be changed to prepare us for a potential war against the Russians. Advertisement Colonel Bretton-Gordon said that cyber attacks will be given a major chunk of attention in the latest round of updates. He believes the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) would be given additional funding to improve the existing measures against cyber attackers. There is particular concern for the country's five active nuclear power stations, which if damaged by strikes, could release radioactive material across the country, resulting in long-term impact. In the event of an all-out war against Vladimir Putin, members of the Royal family and key government officials will be sent to secret hideout bunkers to protect them. Advertisement Food circulation and modern logistics systems will be made more robust to ensure essential items can reach people whenever there is a need. And the public will be made more aware of their wartime duties. Bretton-Gordon added: "Plans will be to make sure our critical infrastructure is as secure as it can be. "There will be contingency plans. If one nuclear power station goes down, then other power infrastructure can take up the slack. Advertisement "During the Cold War, the people probably had a lot of training and expertise to deal with contaminated nuclear casualties, but the situation has probably changed now. "These are the sort of things that just need to be reviewed, so that in the event this happens, it's not a complete shock." "We are up against an autocratic tyrant who has absolutely no concern for collateral damage or civilian casualties. "I'm sure Putin wouldn't think twice about firing a missile, nuclear or conventional, at London cities and the UK's critical national infrastructure." Advertisement Meanwhile, Colonel Kemp warned that Russia could attack Britain in several ways that could wreak havoc on nation - and our armed forces are simply not prepared enough to fight Putin's troops. He added: "We could be the target of large-scale ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone, cyber, chemical and even nuclear strikes as well as sabotage. "I would hope that what has recently been happening in Ukraine and the Middle East has galvanised our leaders so that we are prepared. But we have a huge amount of ground to make up." "The best way to avoid such things happening to us is deterring an attack. That means we need to substantially increase our own offensive as well as defensive capabilities." Advertisement NOT GOOD ENOUGH The Cabinet Office ran a risk assessment in January in which it modelled a scenario in which a hostile foreign state launched various types of attack on the UK's infrastructure. It found that any such successful strike could be devastating. A senior RAF official said last month if Russia had attacked the UK in the same way as it had Military experts agree that Britain's air defence systems are not adequate to thwart a large-scale missile attack. Advertisement Colonel Kemp said: "One of our major weaknesses is air defence, both for our forces and homeland defence. "Putin has significant long-range missile and attack drone capability, which could be used against us. "The other day, a Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen penetrated Israel's air defences and struck their international airport. "Israel has the most comprehensive and advanced air and missile defence systems in the world. Advertisement "That shows how vulnerable any country can be to attack, and we have nothing even approaching Israel's capabilities." Bretton-Gordon added: " I expect, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, a lot of focus will be on air defence. "But it's not just missiles and fighter jets, the Ukraine war shows how effective drone warfare could be." Read more on the Irish Sun Advertisement
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Global military spending jumped more in 2024 than any year since Cold War, think tank says
Global military expenditure rose by 9.4% in 2024 to $2.7 trillion, the steepest yearly rise since the end of the Cold War, according to data compiled by the global security think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Spending in Europe, including Russia, was a big factor behind the global surge in spending, SIPRI said. European nations' collective spending increased by 17% to $693 billion amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the organization's data show. Russia's government increased its military spending by 38% to an estimated $149 billion last year, while Ukraine's grew by 2.9% to $64.7 billion. The Ukrainian spending amounted to 34% of the country's GDP, the largest military expenditure by percentage of GDP of any nation last year, according to SIPRI. "Russia once again significantly increased its military spending, widening the spending gap with Ukraine," said Diego Lopes da Silva, a senior researcher at SIPRI. "Ukraine currently allocates all of its tax revenues to its military. In such a tight fiscal space, it will be challenging for Ukraine to keep increasing its military spending." All NATO member nations increased their military spending, too, with 18 countries spending at least 2% of their GDP during 2024, which SIPRI said was the highest number of NATO members to hit that threshold since the alliance adopted it as a spending guideline in 2014. NATO military forces are seen during the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises at the Smardan Training Area, in Smardan, Romania, Feb. 19, 2025. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty "The rapid spending increases among European NATO members were driven mainly by the ongoing Russian threat and concerns about possible U.S. disengagement within the alliance," said Jade Guiberteau Ricard, another SIPRI researcher. "It is worth saying that boosting spending alone will not necessarily translate into significantly greater military capability or independence from the USA. Those are far more complex tasks." In the Middle East, Israel and Lebanon significantly increased their military spending. Israel boosted its defense investment by 65% to $46.5 billion, while Lebanon increased its own by 58%, to $635 million. "Despite widespread expectations that many Middle Eastern countries would increase their military spending in 2024, major rises were limited to Israel and Lebanon," said SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim. "Elsewhere [in the region], countries either did not significantly increase spending in response to the war in Gaza or were prevented from doing so by economic constraints." SIPRI said Iran's military expenditure fell in real terms by 10% to $7.9 billion, despite its involvement in regional conflicts. U.S. military spending grew by 5.7% to $997 billion, amounting to 66% of NATO spending in 2024 and 37% of global military spending. China was the world's second largest military spender last year behind the U.S., accounting for half of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, SIPRI said. China increased its spending by 7% to $314 billion. "Major military spenders in the Asia-Pacific region are investing increasing resources into advanced military capabilities," said Nan Tian, the director of the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. 'With several unresolved disputes and mounting tensions, these investments risk sending the region into a dangerous arms-race spiral."
