Two Typhoon fighter jets were flown from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, along with a Voyager refuelling jet from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The planes flew towards Shetland, off Scotland's north-east coast, and were tracked circling nearby. An unidentified Russian warplane sat outside British airspace. The Russian plane did not need to be intercepted or escorted by the British jets, which later returned to base. The specific type of Russian warplane involved in the incident has not been disclosed.
Keir Starmer told British military chiefs to find £3.5 billion in budget cuts. The heads of the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, along with other top brass, are meeting this week to discuss funding pressures. Ministry of Defence officials have asked military chiefs to find £3.5 billion of 'efficiencies' and other savings this year. The specific 'efficiencies' and savings being considered to meet this target have not been detailed.
It is 'extraordinary' that military chiefs are being asked to find cuts at a time of 'war on two fronts' in the Middle East and Ukraine.
The in-year squeeze is because the current defence budget is insufficient to deliver existing plans. The MoD is facing a £28 billion shortfall between now and 2030. The Prime Minister was given the dire financial assessment before Christmas. According to Daily Mail - News, James Cartlidge described it as extraordinary that military chiefs are being asked to find cuts at a time of war on two fronts in the Middle East and Ukraine. He also described politics as always being about what you prioritise.
The MoD has previously announced a Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan to deliver £6 billion of savings over five years. A Ministry of Defence spokesman stated that the defence budget is rising to record levels as this Government delivers the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, totalling £270 billion this parliament alone. The spokesman added that demands on defence are rising, with growing Russian aggression, the crisis in the Middle East, and increasing operational requirements. How the reported £28 billion shortfall aligns with this claim of a record budget increase remains unclear.
Politics is always about what you prioritise.
The Ministry of Defence is finalising its Defence Investment Plan. The detailed content of this plan has not been released. RAF Typhoon jets were deployed overnight to defend two Middle Eastern nations. The identities of these two nations have not been specified.