David Cameron unveils £1.1bn military war chest to tackle cyber terror
Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled a £1.1bn funding package to provide Britain’s Armed Forces with the kit and knowledge necessary to target ‘unseen enemies’ of the nation.
The largesse will pay for a range of ‘intelligence and surveillance’ kit and operations, to be split between bolstering special forces’ capabilities to tackle global terrorism and new equipment such as drones and next generation radar for Typhoon jets.
Writing in The Telegraph Cameron said: “Today’s investment demonstrates our approach to national security.
“There are those who believe we would be safer if we fundamentally retreated from the world. They see new warships and military investment and imagine a Government bent on foreign adventurism. But the plain fact is that in the 21st century, you cannot defend the realm from the white cliffs of Dover.
“Terrorist plots hatched thousands of miles away threaten to cause harm on our streets. When fragile and lawless states fracture, migration flows can affect us right here.”
The investment comes against a backdrop of ongoing cuts in defence spending with the regular army set to be slashed from 102,000 people to 82,000 by 2020.