Britain shifts to “war readiness” and establishes a dedicated Cyber Command
During the presentation of the UK’s new Strategic Defense Review (SDR), the British Prime Minister made his position clear. He declared that the country is entering a state of «war readiness». As a first step, defense spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 (up from 2.3%), with the ultimate goal of reaching 3%, though no specific date was provided. However, it was clear that the Prime Minister vowed to make the British military «ten times more lethal by 2035».
Such declarations were to be expected. What raised more eyebrows was what preceded the press conference in Glasgow: a visit by Defense Secretary John Healey to Corsham, home to the UK’s military cyber headquarters. Notably, this site once housed the largest WWII ammunition depot, spanning nearly 650 square kilometers. It has now been designated as the base for a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, which is backed by £1 billion in funding. General Sir James Hockenhull, currently head of UK Strategic Command, is leading the initiative.
«Warfare is evolving rapidly», said Healey. «Britain faces daily cyberattacks on this new frontline. We’re giving our Armed Forces the ability to act at an unprecedented speed. That means linking ships, tanks, aircraft, and ground operators into a single, instant communication network. Whether we like it or not, the keyboard is now a weapon».
According to the review, the Ministry of Defense repelled over 90,000 cyberattacks in the past two years, double the previous figure. The new Cyber Command will be responsible for detecting and neutralizing such attacks, often in coordination with civilian agencies. However, the core of the shift lies elsewhere.
Meet the Digital Targeting Web, a system that enables real-time decision-making by connecting computers across all domains. For example, if a Navy vessel or satellite detects a threat, the information is instantly relayed to a fighter jet or drone to respond.
The Defense Ministry acknowledges that this approach was inspired by the war in Ukraine.
«At the start of the conflict, the Ukrainians fundamentally changed how battles were fought”, Healey explained. “They learned how to locate enemy forces, target them, and launch swift, large-scale counterattacks. Britain’s aim is to replicate that responsiveness using cutting-edge AI and, most importantly, instantaneous data sharing across all units».
It’s worth noting that Ukraine’s capabilities relied heavily on American satellites. At one point, the U.S. threatened to disable the targeting systems, which would have left Ukrainian forces «blind». European defense planners were alarmed by this possibility and concluded that, rather than creating new networks from scratch, they would need to modernize and expand existing digital targeting systems.
To support this shift, the UK is launching the Cyber Direct Entry program, which is essentially a new recruitment path into military cyber operations. By the end of 2025, new recruits will be placed in key roles, and others will receive retraining. Salaries start at £40,000 per year, with an additional £25,000 for those with specialized skills. This is comparable to the salary of a junior financial analyst in the City of London, but without the need to carry a weapon or serve on the front line. A keyboard suffices.
The most remarkable moment in Healey’s statements was his historic admission: «Britain will step up cyberattacks against Russia and China». While he avoided directly confirming an ongoing cyberwar, the implications were clear. When pressed for clarification, the minister replied:
«We are witnessing a surge in cyberattacks from Russia. This is now a cyberwar-level threat — and it’s only intensifying».
This marked a significant departure from previous UK defense reviews, in which military officials were discouraged from naming adversaries. In the past, threats could only be linked to ISIS (banned in Russia), but now Russia and China are openly named as opponents.
Some military strategists are concerned that British cyberattacks could provoke devastating retaliation. Nevertheless, both the SDR and Healey’s commentary acknowledge that Russian cyber operations are already so effective and prolific that the UK must devote most of its resources just to maintaining the status quo. These efforts consume far more energy than would be required for an offensive.
In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Western intelligence and cyber units jointly hacked VKontakte, one of Russia’s largest platforms and often referred to as «Russia’s Facebook». This was an attempt to combat state-approved content and promote counter-narratives, including casualty reports and combat footage. These early breaches provided Western analysts with valuable insights.
Similar to its predecessors, the current Strategic Defense Review calls for increased investment in weapons. However, the numbers now reflect the new digital era. £1.5 billion will be spent to build six new arms and munitions factories, and £6 billion will be allocated to purchase 7,000 units of British-made military equipment.
The review introduces a new combat model called «20–40–40». The idea is to minimize battlefield losses:
Twenty percent of the force consists of high-value assets, such as Challenger 3 tanks, which are stationed away from direct engagement zones. Forty percent comprises expendable kamikaze drones. The remaining 40% includes reusable, advanced drones for reconnaissance and high-impact strikes.
However, the review does not address how the British Army plans to meet its long-standing target of 72,500 active personnel. Recruitment remains problematic. Every month, between 200 and 300 personnel leave the Royal Navy, Army, or Air Force.