UK Defence Leaders Urge For Procurement & NATO Cooperation

The UK defence industry can ensure the timely acquisition of advanced equipment, technology and services needed to maintain operational readiness and national security through effective procurement.

Innovative procurement strategies will help enhance innovation, support domestic industry growth and improve supply chain resilience against economic and geopolitical unrest.

The Defence Select Committee was held on 4 March, 2025, which saw UK leaders from the defence field gathered to emphasise the need for change to procurement processes across the industry. 

The leaders delved into the importance of NATO collaboration, challenges facing British defence manufacturing and the need for industrial collaboration with European partners. 

NATO collaboration

A NATO-wide procurement strategy will help improve cost efficiency by minimising duplication, consolidating defence purchases and implementing economies of scale across member nations.

Allied forces will be able to operate effectively in joint missions due to the standardisation of munitions, weapons and equipment.

It would also improve supply chain resilience by removing production bottlenecks in crisis and minimising dependency on individual nations. 

Andrew Kinniburgh, Director General of Make UK Defence, highlights the efficiency gains and cost savings we could gain through pilot training and NATO-wide collaboration: “The UK MOD alone is spending £50 million (Approx US$64.7m) a year outsourcing fast jet pilot training because there’s no availability of Hawk jets at RAF Valley. We’re sending dozens of pilots to the US, Italy and elsewhere,

“A UK company, Aeralis, has developed an advanced jet trainer. NATO could step in and say, ‘We are going to provide a NATO-wide resource for fast jet training, using the same jet across multiple nations.’ The RAF and other countries wouldn’t need to own them; they could just contract for availability.” 

Julian David, CEO of techUK, stresses the need for greater standardisation and interoperability across NATO, stating: “At the end of the Cold War, the only two things that were common across NATO were diesel and 105mm ammunition. That’s ridiculous. There needs to be a real effort to address supply chain challenges and increase standardisation.”

Even though national defence priorities and political disagreements could potentially slow the implementation of a NATO-wide procurement strategy, it will help consolidate defence purchases, improve collective defence capabilities and help larger defence economies over smaller nations.

Spending priorities 

The UK defence industry focuses on several procurement spending priority areas to ensure that national security is aligned with economic growth:

• Strengthening domestic defence manufacturing
• Promoting technology development and innovation
• Reform procurement processes
• Enhance supply chain resilience
• Support export opportunities

By focusing on these areas, the UK defence industry can craft a robust defence sector that will future-proof the UK’s defence capabilities while securing long-term technological and economic growth. 

Not only will streamlined procurement processes minimise delays and reduce delays but a more competitive UK defence industry will improve alliances, expand its export market and improve the UK’s industrial industry. 

Julian continues to explain that defence spending needs to focus on software-driven, flexible capabilities (rather than the current focus on long-term hardware procurement): “We are going to spend a lot more money, but we need to spend it differently. Stop specifying to the nth degree what you think you’ll need in 20 years’ time.”

The UK Defence Industrial Strategy will foster long-term partnerships between government and industry, reform procurement to enhance efficiency and promote innovation to strengthen national security. 

The UK is beginning to invest in cybersecurity, new defence technologies and space capabilities to secure its strategic advantage amidst global unrest. 

On 25 February, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined his commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027 (with hopes for this to rise to 3% by the next parliament). 

Kevin Cravin, Chief Executive of ADS, emphasises the importance of ensuring the Defence Industrial Strategy is implemented effectively to improve success: “A few years ago, DSIS had some very sensible suggestions, the majority of which were not implemented. An industrial strategy that we carry out and follow with rigour would be game-changing.”

Procurement reform

Procurement reform lies at the core of these discussions, highlighting the need for more flexible and faster defence spending, more strategic international collaboration, greater standardisation through NATO and the implementation of a clear industrial procurement strategy. 

By implementing these changes, defence procurement can become more cost-effective, efficiency and aligned with the needs of the modern military.

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