UK SDR 2025: Review calls for British Army to be made 10 times more lethal

The SDR recommends modernising the British Army's two divisions and ARRC headquarters (photo of Challenger 2 main battle tanks of the King's Royal Hussars, 3rd Armoured Division, supported by Apache attack helicopters). (Janes/Patrick Allen)

The UK's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) published on 2 June calls for the British Army to be made 10 times more lethal. According to the review, this will be achieved by combining more personnel and armoured capabilities with air defence, communications, artificial intelligence, software, long-range weapons, and unmanned aerial vehicle swarms.

The SDR's recommendations include modernising the two divisions and corps headquarters assigned as one of two NATO Strategic Reaction Corps (SRC): the UK-based Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). The SDR states, “The first division should comprise a fully deployable headquarters, three manoeuvre brigades with armoured and mechanised capabilities, support brigade, and associated enablers. Planning should include the integration of the Royal Marines Commando Force into the SRC when appropriate.”

The review calls on the British Army to “accelerate the development and deployment of its new ‘Recce-Strike' approach – combining existing capabilities and technologies, such as armoured platforms, with constantly evolving technology as part of its efforts to modernise the SRC. It should be bolder in its ambition, seeking to increase lethality 10-fold”.

According to the SDR, the British Army should be developed into a mix of regular and reserve soldiers of at least 100,000 troops, 73,000 of whom should be regulars. Another SDR recommendation is that Headquarters Standing Joint Command (UK) command all UK military support to national resilience under it and be resourced accordingly but also be deployed to lead wider efforts to reconnect defence with society as part of a ‘whole-of-society' approach to deterrence and defence.