UK Lacks National Defence Plan, Air Chief Marshal Warns

On 12 January 2026, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton told MPs that the UK has no national defence plan for an all‑out war, including how to mobilise NHS doctors, nurses and hospitals. He confirmed the Ministry of Defence lacks the funding to cover its current equipment programme and cited a £28 bn budget hole over the next four years, forcing cuts or programme delays. Knighton also said Britain still has no modern Government War Book, last updated before the Soviet collapse, and that the military component of the Defence Review – published in June – will be finalised this year. A NATO exercise in Finland highlighted the gap between joint readiness and domestic preparedness, amid rising Russian threat after Ukraine’s 2014 and 2022 attacks.