'Warfare is changing!' John Healey issues stark warning over delay in Britain's weapon procurement - 'It simply can't continue'

The 65-year-old MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, who is overseeing the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) - a comprehensive review to assess the threats the UK faces, the capabilities needed to address them, and the state of the UK armed forces - gave his list of priorities to the Conference.

“I think everyone in this room can draw some obvious conclusions," he told delegates and members of the media at the event.

“Ukraine is a searing moment which is confronting us with lessons we have overlooked for too long.

“So the recognition that armed forces in a country are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them, if forced to fight or facing conflict.

“There will be a really powerful emphasis on the strength, resilience and innovation of British industry.”

He continued: “The nature of warfare is not just changing, but changing so rapidly in Ukraine that it tells us that, for instance, 6-year timelines for major defence procurements to get to contract, yet alone production and delivery, simply can’t continue.

“Then our ability to innovate and upgrade continually has got to be a big part of the way we equip and make our armed forces ready to fight.

“And then you can’t look at the nature of warfare now and say, ‘Well we can see the army doing this, and see the RAF doing that’. Absolutely our armed forces have to be integrated and how you do that is a big logistical, technical and digital challenge.”

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Although the discussion was centred around Britain's defence, Healey drew special mention to closer EU cooperation as one way to bolster UK security.

Despite signing a landmark trade deal with the US yesterday which could see the UK align with the Donald Trump administration, the US was barely a footnote in Healey's speech.

Speaking on an upcoming EU-UK summit later this month, Healey teased Britain could be allowed to enter into several EU-based defence programmes.

However, he stopped short of naming which schemes could be open to the UK joining.

He said: “We said we are willing and wanting to strike a UK-EU defence agreement.

"We have an EU-UK summit coming up on May 19 and we are working on whether, as a part of that, we can strike a defence partnership.

“The EU has now set out a prospectus for non-EU countries that is a potential key to opening the door to some of their programmes.

"It won’t be automatic, but it could create the conditions to open the door to some discussions and negotiations.”

Towards the end of the session, Healey was asked whether he was looking at reviewing some of the posture and equipment in regard to Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

However, the Defence Secretary dodged the question, saying: “I think it’s valuable to have that sort of discussion in forums such as this, but for Government ministers to participate in that sort of open debate is another matter.”

However, he continued: “No one should be under any doubt about the depth of the commitment that we as a Government have to our nuclear deterrent.

“Our commitment as the only European nation to make it available not just as the fundamental deterrent and security for the UK but also for our Nato allies, and as Keir Starmer and I both argue, it’s not just fundamental to our security but also foundational to our economy as well.

“So the fact there are at least 30,000 jobs that will be directly developed through the new Dreadnought programme is significant for us.

“If we want to take the public with us and convince them to invest more, then there has got be a recognition of the benefits that come.

“We’ve traditionally made those arguments simply in security terms and in technical terms, and one of the strengths of the recognition of just how strong an engine for growth defence can be.

“It’s not just about a Government that is looking to strengthen our security, we’re also looking to strengthen our economy as well, and we will look where we can to direct British defence investment towards British jobs and British-based businesses and that will help the number one mission of Government.”