UK lays out defence plan with drones, self-flying fighter jets, no-crew submarines2-MIN READ2-MIN0ListenPublished: 5:39pm, 30 Jun 2026Updated: 5:51pm, 30 Jun 2026Self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines and drones will be at the centre of Britain’s future military under a defence plan being announced on Tuesday that reflects a world of conflicts transformed by technology.The plan prioritises £5 billion (US$6.6 billion) of investment in drones and a focus on autonomous systems to try to modernise and build up its depleted armed forces at a time of rising threats.The Defence Investment Plan has been repeatedly delayed as military leaders and Treasury officials wrangled over the cost of equipping the nation’s military for an increasingly dangerous world.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
SRCSouth China Morning Post
LANGEN
LEANCenter-Right
WORDS115
ENT6
TUE · 2026-06-30 · 09:39 GMTBRIEF NSR-2026-0630-88598
NSR-2026-0630-88598News Report·EN·Technology
UK lays out defence plan with drones, self-flying fighter jets, no-crew submarines
The United Kingdom has unveiled a new defence plan that will prioritize autonomous systems, including self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines, and drones. This plan, announced on Tuesday, aims to modernize and bolster the nation's armed forces in response to evolving technological threats.
Associated PressSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-06-30 · 09:39 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min
South China Morning PostFIG 01
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115words
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Briefing Summary
AI-generatedNEWSAR · AI
The United Kingdom has unveiled a new defence plan that will prioritize autonomous systems, including self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines, and drones. This plan, announced on Tuesday, aims to modernize and bolster the nation's armed forces in response to evolving technological threats. A significant portion of the investment, £5 billion (US$6.6 billion), will be directed towards drones. The Defence Investment Plan's release was delayed due to discussions between military leaders and Treasury officials regarding the costs of equipping the military for a more dangerous global landscape.
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The Defence Investment Plan was delayed due to cost negotiations between military leaders and Treasury officials.
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The focus is on autonomous systems to modernize and build up depleted armed forces.
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The plan prioritizes £5 billion (US$6.6 billion) investment in drones.
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UK defence plan will feature self-flying fighter jets, uncrewed submarines, and drones.
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autonomous systems
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drones
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self-flying fighter jets
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no-crew submarines
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military modernization
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technology
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investment
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uk
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