The UK Ministry of Defence announced that the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), expected to be revealed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, indicates the country is replicating Ukraine's successful model. This approach "focuses on low-cost weapon systems capable of destroying high-value targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years".

One of the most notable policies in the DIP is that the UK will not spend additional funds on the project to build eight Type 83 destroyers or Type 32 frigates, even though these programs are crucial components of the plan to restore naval scale by the 2030s.

British paratroopers during the multinational Saber Strike exercise in Finland in May. Photo: US Army

Instead, the UK will invest in at least six warships named "Common Combat Vehicles" (CCV). They will assume command and control roles for unmanned systems, including type 93 anti-submarine unmanned underwater vehicles, type 91 missile carriers, and type 92 and type 94 airborne and maritime sensor systems.

The shift towards unmanned vehicles also extends to the air force. UK officials on 29/6 revealed an investment for a program called "Cooperative Combat Air," aimed at producing autonomous jets to support crewed aircraft.

This is part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a collaborative project among Italy, the UK, and Japan to develop a 6th-generation fighter jet.

London also announced it would spend 5 billion pounds (over 6.5 billion USD) on "drone equipment transformation". The Ministry of Defence cited the 200,000 drones Ukraine uses each month as an example of the approach the UK needs to adopt.

In addition, the DIP will fund Europe's largest drone testing center, located in the town of Swindon in the UK. This center will operate with a dedicated unmanned systems task force to "continuously scale production" and supply drones to the British military.

Politico reported that this represents one of the most significant overhauls of the British armed forces in decades. Previously, the strength of the British military primarily lay in its navy, with large, expensive warships like aircraft carriers and nuclear-capable submarines.

However, the Ukraine conflict has raised doubts about Europe's old defense model. The war exposed the weaknesses of expensive weapons, highlighting the importance of possessing a large number of low-cost drones and ammunition. It has accelerated the transition to autonomous systems, AI-powered targeting capabilities, and rapid innovation on the battlefield.

Despite no longer having a conventional navy, Ukraine has inflicted significant damage on Russia's Black Sea Fleet using unmanned aerial vehicles, suicide boats, and missiles.

Tim Willasey-Wilsey, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), believes the UK still needs to maintain a strong navy as a global trading power. However, London should also shift its focus from large projects to building a "leaner and more effective" military.

"Technology on the battlefield is changing at a rapid pace. The clear lesson we have learned from Ukraine is that drones have transformed the nature of warfare," said Ross Exley, Vice President of defence strategy at UK-based technology company Hadean.

Willasey-Wilsey pointed out that the UK is no longer training Ukraine but has become its student, which he called "somewhat ironic". "They are showing us how modern warfare should be conducted. That is a type of warfare we cannot execute. The UK would not last more than a few weeks," he admitted.

Pham Giang (According to Politico, Reuters, BBC)