Defence budget shortfall reveals £60bn gap in infrastructure and readiness

General Sir Richard Barrons told the Commons defence committee in July that a full integrated air and missile defence system would cost £120 billion over 10 years. The retired former head of Joint Forces Command said the defence investment plan allocates just £1 billion for the capability. Barrons noted that even a basic Iron Dome-style system would require £80 billion over a decade. He added that a single Iron Dome-style system could cost up to £100 billion.

Barrons said the unfunded defence needs amount to at least another half of the iceberg that never entered the plan due to cost. He pointed to a £60 billion to £80 billion hole in defence infrastructure. This gap includes crumbling airfields and ports, housing shortages, and the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations.

The £1 billion currently in the budget buys limited upgrades rather than a complete shield. The funding improves command and control to warn of incoming threats. It also helps the Air Force shoot down cruise missiles and gives Type 45 warships better defences against ballistic missiles. Barrons warned that people often assume an Iron Dome protects London, but that system is not there.

The defence investment plan is the strategic defence review written for the money that is available. Barrons stressed that the plan only includes projects that fit within the budget. He warned that arguing over the margins of the plan does not fix the deeper problems in defence.