My letter to the Prime Minister

The situation inside the MoD is so bad that Britain is second bottom in a Nato league table that ranks member states based on the extent to which they are meeting their rearmament promises. The UK is currently 31 out of 32 countries on a list — which may be published by the end of the month — detailing how each country is progressing in hitting the alliance’s capability requirements. The only country below the UK is understood to be Iceland, which does not have a military. thetimes.com/article/fe3f6c3…

DIP wrangling continues, with Treasury accused yday of using backlash against Whitehall cuts (to fund defence) to try & squeeze DIP envelope from £15bn to £13.5bn. Final figure still not locked in

NEW: Britain’s future fleet of fighter jets capable of dropping nuclear bombs is under threat in Sir Keir Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP). The Telegraph understands “serious conversations” are taking place at very senior levels of the military and Government over whether to cut or delay proposals to buy 12 F-35A stealth jets. Sir Keir announced the £1bn plan to buy the jets last year, but ministers are now believed to be considering the future of the RAF project ahead of the release of the chronically delayed DIP. The investment plan was due to be published last autumn, but a funding row between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Treasury has left it in limbo for months. The F-35As can carry the B61 bomb, an American-made tactical nuclear weapon. The B61 bombs are designed to destroy a smaller area than Britain’s current arsenal of Trident 2 D5 ballistic missiles, which can deliver 12 warheads capable of levelling a city. The jets would provide Britain with another rung on the “escalatory ladder of war” before the deployment of more damaging strategic nuclear weapons, defence officials said. They would be in addition to the planned 138 F-35Bs, which are built to fly off Britain’s two aircraft carriers but cannot carry nuclear bombs. However, according to those with knowledge of the DIP, the F-35A scheme is at risk as ministers attempt to save money and fund other military projects as part of “tough” decisions still being mulled over by Downing Street. One defence source said the future of the F-35A was being discussed and its funding could be delayed or cut entirely, citing talks between “two and three-star” military commanders. It is understood that the proposals for the F-35A are among many options being considered. However, no final decision has been made.  Full story: telegraph.co.uk/gift/f607a89…

Two legends. Same nine 16-inch guns. Very different stories. USS Alabama (BB-60) was built for a fight, not a parade. At 680 feet and 35,000 tons, she was compact by battleship standards; a South Dakota-class bruiser designed to hit hard and absorb punishment. Top speed: 27.5 knots. Her war was the Pacific, and she earned it. USS Iowa (BB-61) was something else entirely. At 887 feet and 45,000 tons, she was longer than three football fields and fast enough (33 knots) to keep pace with the carriers she was built to protect. That combination of size and speed made her not just a battleship, but a bodyguard for the entire fleet. Alabama punched above her weight. Iowa simply outweighed everyone. The gap between them isn't just numbers. It's a statement about what the Navy needed at different moments. Alabama was the workhorse of classic fleet engagements. Iowa was a different animal; a ship that outlasted WWII, showed up in Korea, came back from retirement during the Cold War, and was still firing her guns in the Gulf War four decades after her commissioning. Both carry the same armament. Both are now museum ships. But Iowa's resume is longer, her hull is bigger, and her legacy is harder to summarize in a single war.

The £3.5bn HMS Prince Of Wales has broken down again in Norway. Before 1987 every single ship in the British Navy was made by the Government. Since 1989 they have ALL been built by Private companies and like HS2, Nuclear, Water and Mail. They are all garbage.

🚨 NEW: Keir Starmer is considering cutting the planned £18bn increase in defence spending to £15bn over fears the Iran war makes it unaffordable [@thetimes]

Latest news article Defence minister wants 1,000-ship Royal Navy, built primarily on uncrewed platforms navylookout.com/defence-mini… #CNE2026 @LukePollard

Absolutely the right step, though the readers of big bumper book of best boats are going to have an absolute melt down.

Babcock International has admitted it built the first two Type 31 frigates in the wrong sequence, forcing it to spend months making £140m of changes @Telegraph @Babcockplc @CommonsDefence @ModernNavy #RoyalNavy archive.is/2026.05.13-200813…