UK Defence Journal Weekly Brief
Posted: 26th September 2026
Welcome to the UK Defence Journal Weekly Brief, our snapshot of the key developments shaping UK defence policy, procurement and industry, and what to watch in the week ahead.
Week in Context
Space dominated the defence agenda this week, as ministers, commanders and procurement chiefs used the first UK Space Power Conference to set out how Britain intends to compete in orbit.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting opened with his keynote. He argued that control of space will shape security this century much as control of the seas and then the air shaped the two before it, and his speech coincided with the RAF forming No. III Space Effects Squadron, its first unit dedicated to disrupting, degrading and denying hostile activity in orbit. Current investment in space-based ISR and space control stands at £880 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30. That sits within the £7.8 billion committed to space until 2030 under the UK Space Strategy published earlier this month, more than £3 billion of which goes to defence capabilities in orbit.
The money question was picked up by National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce. He said the Defence Investment Plan commits nearly £13 billion to military space capabilities over the next decade, and that space is one of the first capability portfolios under the new National Armaments Group, led by Rear Admiral Tony Williams. Pearce was unusually candid about the past, saying that during his decade at Inmarsat the MOD had failed to act as a serious development customer for British space firms.
His message to industry was “I have the invest budget. You have the ideas.”
Away from orbit, the UK is sending an RAF Voyager tanker to support Saudi Arabia after renewed Houthi attacks, following a request from the Saudi Government. The MOD says it adds to an existing British contribution to Saudi air defence, including equipment and personnel helping to counter missile and drone attacks.
At sea, the Royal Navy’s Excalibur extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle launched a US Mk 48 heavyweight torpedo during trials in Scotland, a significant step for the Navy’s hybrid ambitions.
Policy and Parliament
The Prime Minister told the UN General Assembly that Britain has evidence Russian agencies tried to interfere in the 2019 general election, sharpening the focus on hybrid threats as party conference season begins. On readiness, the Government says it aims to bring forward new defence readiness legislation later in this Parliament but has not set a date.
The alliance picture is shifting too, during a two-day UK visit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Britain’s role in the alliance, its defence industry and its support for Ukraine, while arguing NATO must become more European. NATO chiefs of defence also sent industry what the alliance called a united message that allies are ready to buy at scale.
This week’s UK Defence Journal also carries a striking warning from Graeme Downie, Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar. Speaking at the ADS Skills Conference, he argued that Britain has been in an unconventional war with Russia for at least a year, and that deterrence rests as much on having skilled people to build and sustain equipment as on the equipment itself. He highlighted that Babcock had to recruit 300 welders from the Philippines for frigate work at Rosyth, and challenged employers to do more to train the workforce they need.
Defence Fundraiser with Graeme Downie MP and Al Carns MP
Graeme Downie MP will host an evening defence fundraiser on Tuesday 27 October, from 7pm to 10pm, at Troia Southbank, County Hall, London, with Al Carns MP as special guest. The event is organised by SME4Labour, and funds raised will support the campaigns Graeme runs which focus on defence and industry.
Tickets start at £100, with a group rate available for bookings of ten or more.
Book your place: https://myeventticket.org/event/defence-fundraiser-with-graeme-downie-mp-and-al-carns-mp
You can contact Graeme directly here to book.
We believe it is important for defence businesses and industry to engage directly with the parliamentarians shaping defence policy, whichever party they represent. As we did under the previous government, we will continue to highlight opportunities for industry to hear from and speak with decision-makers. Including this event should not be taken as political support for any party or individual, and UK Defence Journal has received no payment or funding for featuring it.
What We’re Watching
Party conference season moves into its busiest stretch this weekend, and defence will be hard to avoid. Labour gathers in Liverpool from Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 September for its first conference under Andy Burnham, and Wes Streeting’s first as Defence Secretary since taking the role in July. After a week in which he set out an ambitious vision for British power in space, the question for Liverpool is whether the Government can show the money and the delivery plan to match.
The Conservatives follow in Birmingham from Sunday 4 to Wednesday 7 October, where the opposition will be looking to press the Government on funding, readiness and the pace of procurement. For industry, the Tuesday is worth noting: the party is running a dedicated SME Day on 6 October, a useful opportunity for smaller defence firms to put their case directly to politicians.
The item we will be watching most closely beyond conference season is delivery. The National Armaments Group, with space among its first capability portfolios, will be the test of whether the new procurement structure can move at the pace ministers have promised. Also still outstanding is the defence readiness legislation, which the Government says will come later in this Parliament but has yet to put a date on.
For companies, we believe, the core question has shifted: it is no longer what the Government will buy, but how fast and from whom. Rupert Pearce has promised more problem statements, a new Office for Small Business Growth and more than £2.5 billion a year in additional spending with SMEs by 2028. The coming months will show whether that opens doors for smaller firms.
Apex Europe
A new defence innovation event launches in London next month, aimed at getting new technology to European and NATO forces faster. Apex Europe takes place at Magazine London on 7 and 8 October, the first time the Apex series has come to Europe. Organised by Clarion Defence & Security, the team behind DSEI, it is built around real operational problems, from drone swarms and counter-drone defence to long-range strike, air defence and threats to undersea infrastructure. UK Defence Journal is an official media partner and will be reporting from the event.
Find out more: https://www.apexeurope.org