PM Johnson announces UK to invest $32 billion in defence spending

London: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced boosting UK defence spending and investing more than a whopping $32 billion. Prime Minister Johnson expressed the resolve to modernise the military, calling it necessary to counter various future threats and increase Britain’s influence internationally. The investment will be made over the next four years and include spending for Space Command, National Cyber Force and laser weapons as even Artificial Intelligence (AI), Johnson said. The UK Prime Minister made a suggestive statement as he said that the era of defence cuts was over. The UK is investing on such an extensive scale for the first time since the Cold War.

32 अब्ज Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced modernising the military as he said, ‘The UK has been cutting back on defence spending for many years now. If we continue with this policy, we fear the UK forces will lose the minimum capability to hold back the enemy as well. Once lost, we will never be able to regain this capacity. It could even imperil the security of UK citizens. A decision thus has been made to end the age of defence cutbacks based on the global situation and UK foreign policy. In the next four years, the UK defence sending will be increased to over 24 billion pounds’.

The current situation is the most dangerous after the Cold War and has sparked tremendous competition, Johnson underscored. Also, the UK Prime Minister candidly said that the everyday trade of the UK and every other nation is dependent on global security, and we cannot ignore and shift this responsibility on other allied nations. Johnson went on to justify the defence spending by saying that ‘preserving UK’s interests and values while maintaining its global clout is important and its foundation lies in the modernisation of the military’.

32 अब्ज Johnson reminded that the UK had ruled the seas in the past and said the primary objective behind the defence investment is therefore to make the UK the most powerful navy in Europe. Two British aircraft carriers are to operationalise by 2023, the UK Prime Minister claimed. He added that the UK, in the next few years, will induct 13 destroyers, sports ships, military research vehicles and modern warships in the navy.

Moreover, he stated that the UK would activate the Space Command, National Cyber Force and Artificial Intelligence Centre as even mount laser weapons aboard British warships. UK aircraft carrier HMS Elizabeth will carry out an ambitious operation next year in the Indian Ocean and East Asia, Prime Minister Johnson elaborated. Nevertheless, the UK Prime Minister warned that even in the wake of the spread of the Coronavirus, national security could not assume secondary status and therefore the decision for boosting the defence spending is being made.

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