London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – British Ministry of Defence is conducting its first war games with defence companies to test domestic supply chains and enhance the UK’s defence sectors, as officials raised concerns over the armed force’s preparedness to address global threats.
The UK MoD plans a “war game” simulation to assess the defence industry’s ability to supply chain during large-scale wars.
Under a new military strategy, defence firms must showcase their capacity to quickly scale up production of key weapons, such as drones and missiles, as supply chain disruptions and battlefield pressures increase.
Defence companies will participate in a “first-of-its-kind” simulation on Monday to examine the strength of Britain’s supply chains during times of conflict.
The Defence Secretary and former military chiefs have raised concerns about the Armed Force’s readiness for potential conflict.
John Healey, the Defence Secretary, admitted in October that the Armed Forces were not “ready to fight” and called for the need for Britain to be “more effective” in countering Russian threats.
As reported by The Telegraph, Gen Sir Roland Walker, head of the army, stated that the UK should be ready for a major war within three years, with plans to double its military effectiveness by 2027 and triple it by 2030.
Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, former head of the Army, warned that civilians would likely be called up to serve because the Army is too small in case of war.
On Monday, the defence secretary will introduce the government’s strategy to strengthen the UK’s domestic defence industry.
The government strategy is focused on enhancing UK economic growth and improving supply chain resilience in critical areas such as semiconductors and steel.
At the London Defence Conference, Mr. Healey is expected to say “Our defence sector should be an engine for jobs and growth, strengthening our security and economy.”
He will state “We will develop this new defence industrial strategy with industry, with innovators and with workers. We will mobilise the private sector to help face down global threats, direct more public investment to British businesses and create jobs and growth in every nation and region of the UK.”
The government spokesperson stated, “In a sign of the Government’s commitment to develop a faster, more resilient supply chain, a first-of-its-kind war game will begin [on Monday] with the UK defence industry.”
They added, “The war game will explore how industry and the MoD could sustain personnel on the frontline when faced with constant supply chain disruption and intense fighting.”
The CEO of ADS Group, Kevin Craven, praised the strategy, highlighting its potential to benefit the aerospace, defence, security, and space industries.
He said that ADS has regularly facilitated valuable discussions between its members, the MoD, and wider stakeholders and looks forward to advancing this in the next phase.
The British government is under pressure to meet its goal of raising defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP but has not yet outlined when this will happen.
The government will reveal spending decisions after completing the MoD’s strategic defence review next spring.
While the last defence industrial strategy was published in 2021, the war in Ukraine has revealed the urgent need for more resilient planning and secure supply chains.