UK plans to adopt Ukrainian tactics, shifting billions into unmanned systems

A document titled the Defense Investment Plan (DIP), which Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to publish on June 30, indicates a major shift in the UK's defense strategy.

The UK Ministry of Defense earlier stated that the country is implementing Ukraine's experience and will rely on "cheap systems to defeat expensive targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years."

The article noted that the UK government decided against allocating additional funds for the construction of eight Type 83 guided-missile destroyers and Type 32 frigates, which were intended to be a key component in the rebuilding of the Royal Navy in the 2030s.

Instead, London will invest in at least six new multi-role combat ships that will act as command vessels for unmanned systems.

Journalists highlighted that Ukraine, which lacks a traditional navy, managed to defeat Russia's Black Sea Fleet using drones and missiles.

The transition to unmanned technologies will also affect the Royal Air Force, the publication noted. The UK is investing in a "national collaborative combat aircraft program" to create autonomous jet aircraft that will fly alongside piloted fighter jets.

DIP is expected to add about £15 billion ($19.8 billion) to the country's defense budget, which now stands at £270 billion ($356.4 billion). Of this amount, £5 billion ($6.6 billion) will be directed toward the development of unmanned systems.

On June 14, Starmer announced that the UK military intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel for the first time. The Cameroon-flagged tanker Smyrtos was en route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. It is now anchored in the English Channel near Weymouth and remains under the control of the UK Ministry of Defense pending an investigation.