Extra defence funding gives 'certainty' to businesses

Defence manufacturers say an extra £15bn in government military spending has given them greater confidence to invest and grow.

It is the largest increase in defence spending since the Cold War in the 1980s, with £270bn earmarked for defence over the next four years.

Karl Brewer, the director of TEKEVER, which has built a drone factory in Swindon and has bases in Bristol and Bath, said it's "a significant vote of confidence" in the role AI and autonomy will play in the future of modern warfare.

The government's long-awaited defence investment plan (DIP) was published on Tuesday and will be funded by cutting investment budgets in other areas, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

Brewer said TEKEVER is investing £400m in the UK over the next five years in recognition of the government's approach.

Stephen Bennington is the CEO of Bristol robotics company Q5D and said the announcement of future funding for autonomous technology is a "confidence boost" and provides certainty for companies investing in the industry.

He said: "Ukraine really changed everything in warfare and I think the rest of the world is learning from it.

"It means we can invest. It kicks things off and so we have that level of confidence, that they are putting that level of money into autonomous vehicles.

"We work on the wiring part of the manufacturing process and it's the slowest part. This is what we can use our expertise on."

Ian McFarlane is a sales director for Thales underwater systems. The company employs 1,000 people at Templecombe in Somerset, 100 in Bristol, and also has a site in Swindon. The organisation develops sonar technology for submarines.

He said: "This announcement means there's going to be continual work and increasing work, which is good.

"It does mean that people that work here are able to say with certainty that their jobs are secure for the next five plus years.

"The certainty of the monetary funding lines, the certainty of direction of the Navy allows us to take some strategic decisions to work out where our business is going and how we are positioned to support our armed forces and make sure we provide that war-winning kit to the frontline."

In one of his final acts as prime minister, Sir Keir said some road and energy projects would not "go ahead as planned" to help raise defence funding to £80bn a year by 2029.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.