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Chairpersons

Defence Industry Body Forms New Partnership to Boost British Jobs and Enhance National Security

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) has held its inaugural meeting, co-chaired by Defence Secretary John Healey and Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems. The DIJC aims to improve warfighting readiness, drive innovation, and boost British jobs through a new partnership between the defence industry and the government. This partnership is part of the government's Plan for Change, which includes increasing defence spending to 2.5% of UK GDP by April 2027.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) has been established to bring together defence firms, trade unions, and investors to improve warfighting readiness, drive innovation, and boost British jobs.
  • The DIJC is co-chaired by Defence Secretary John Healey and Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems.
  • The council aims to harness a wider and more diverse set of defence expertise to shape the future of Britain's defence manufacturing, supply chain, and innovation.
  • The DIJC will refresh and widen its membership to champion new entrants to the defence sector.
  • The council will focus on delivering the government's Plan for Change and driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry and driving procurement reforms.
  • The meeting coincided with the first day of London Tech Week and highlighted the importance of innovation in defence, with the government committing to ringfence 10% of the defence budget for investment in novel technologies.
  • The Strategic Defence Review has committed to investing £6 billion in munitions, including £1.5 billion in an "always on" pipeline for munitions and building at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories in the UK, generating over 1,000 jobs and boosting export potential.
  • The review also established the UK Defence Innovation programme with funding of £400 million and created a new Defence Exports Office to drive exports to allies and growth at home.

Statistics:

  • The government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of UK GDP by April 2027.
  • The DIJC will aim to refresh and widen its membership to 10% of the defence sector.
  • The government has committed to investing £6 billion in munitions, including £1.5 billion in an "always on" pipeline for munitions.
  • £400 million has been allocated for the UK Defence Innovation programme.
  • The new Defence Exports Office will drive exports to allies and growth at home.

Sources:

  • United Kingdom -- Executive Government & Departments (Press release).
  • Defence Secretary John Healey MP (Speech).
  • Dr. Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive Officer at BAE Systems (Speech).
  • Strategic Defence Review.
  • Defence Industrial Strategy.
  • London Tech Week.
  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

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