# The Strategy for Defence ----- ----- ### The Strategy for Defence **d D f** **T** **f** **ti** **lit** **efence is at a turning point. We are** **reshaping the way we run our business.** **from today. We will have achieved modern,** **at a crucial stage in our intervention** **We are more realistic about what we can** **capable forces – Future Force 2020 –** ## D **in Afghanistan, and must succeed in other** **afford. The Strategy for Defence sets** **supporting our adaptable strategic posture.** **operations. The 2010 Strategic Defence** **out how this vision can be achieved.** **We will have forged an organisation that has** **and Security Review has given us a new** **weeded out indecision, red-tape and waste.** **vision for our armed forces in 2020. Lord** **This is a period of Transformation – Defence** **We will have balanced the books and created** **Levene’s report on Defence Reform is** **in a decade’s time will look very different** **a sustainable legacy of affordability for those** **who lead and manage Defence after us.** **None of this will be easy; some of it will be** **extremely difficult. We know that we are** **asking a lot of our people and, in return, we** **pledge ourselves to doing things differently.** **We will tell it like it is, face up to tough** **decisions and fight our people’s - and their** **families’ - corner. And it will be our people** **who, above all, will judge whether we have** **delivered the Strategy for Defence, and** ----- The Strategic Defence and Security Review work more with our allies and partners to share The adaptable posture requires Defence to (SDSR) gave the Government the opportunity the burden of securing international stability undertake the following Military Tasks (MTs): to address the balance between our levels of and ensure that collective resources can go - **MT 1: Providing strategic** national policy ambition, available resources further. We will invest in programmes that ##### intelligence. and real world commitments. It is centred on provide flexibility and advanced capabilities, - **MT 2: Providing nuclear** the National Security Strategy (NSS), which and reduce legacy capabilities less suited to ##### deterrence. sets out the principal risks to our security and the future operational context. We must have - **MT 3: Defending the** the National Security Tasks we need to fulfil to uppermost in our minds that the core business ##### United Kingdom and its meet them both at home and overseas. SDSR of our armed forces is to fight and to win across **Overseas Territories.** in turn concluded that we should assume an the spectrum of operations. It is this capability - **MT 4: Supporting the civil** ##### emergency organisations adaptable strategic posture, which for Defence that defines Defence’s unique contribution to the ##### in times of crisis. means that we will remain ready to use armed nation and underpins our ability to influence. - **MT 5: Providing a Defence** force where necessary to protect our national ##### contribution to UK influence. interests, but we will be more selective in its use - **MT 6: Defending our** and focus our armed forces more on tackling ##### interests by projecting power risks before they escalate, and on exerting **strategically and through** ##### expeditionary operations. UK influence, as part of a better coordinated overall national security response. We will - **MT 7: Providing security** ##### for stabilisation. maintain our ability to act alone where we cannot expect others to help, but we will also ----- The MTs are in a sequence that describes the precarious financial position that SDSR and is simpler and more cost-effective, with clear how Defence contributes to the NSS, and recent Planning Rounds have had to address. alignment of responsibility, authority and do not prescribe specific responses to a accountability, and a mechanism for achieving given set of circumstances; they assume the At the same time, the Defence Reform Unit’s a more sustainable long-term financial position. need to build and maintain alliances and Review of how we are structured and managed Taken together with SDSR implementation and partnerships, principally through NATO. proposes a new Departmental structure that the search for further efficiencies, it sparks a SDSR determined the affordable force structure that met the requirements of the adaptable posture – we call this Future Force 2020 (FF20). To achieve FF20, the Treasury has agreed that the MOD can plan on the defence equipment and equipment support budget increasing by 1% a year in real terms between 2015/16 and 2020/21; the MOD’s non-equipment spending will be subject to decisions in future Spending Reviews. We must continue to plan prudently for the future, and leave our successors a legacy of affordability so that Defence is never again in ----- period of Defence Transformation which is the biggest enterprise of its kind in Defence for three decades and which can help us break the cycle of unfulfilled expectations and half-implemented change. Successful Transformation is therefore the highest priority after current operations. Against this backdrop, the Strategy for Defence directs the following seven **priorities for the Department:** - **1 - To succeed in Afghanistan – the main** effort for the MOD. Our armed forces are working to deliver HMG’s ‘Enduring Aim’ civilians are engaged in counter-insurgency - Significant progress towards a and to set the conditions for a political and Counter-Terrorism (CT) operations, sustainable political settlement. settlement that will underpin sustainable and and in institutional training and capacity - A viable Afghan state stabilised irreversible security so that the terrorist threat building of the Afghan National Security sufficiently to challenge to UK national security from Afghanistan Forces (ANSF) in support of three ‘minimum international terrorism and no longer requires the deployment of UK objectives’ for 2015 which will improve our extremism within its borders. combat forces. UK armed forces and MOD chances of securing the Enduring Aim: ----- f N i l S S i P li - ANSF sufficiently capable to - Sustainment and assurance of - Near-term, Defence’s contribution manage any residual insurgency. Continuous At-Sea Deterrence. to the security aspects of the London 2012 Olympics. - By 2015, the UK will have reduced force levels - Explosive Ordnance Disposal. significantly and our forces will no longer be - **3 - To succeed in other operations we are** - Support to UK CT operations in a combat role as we move to a long-term required to undertake by providing a Defence (including CBRN). defence relationship focused on institutional contribution to UK influence, by defending training, capacity-building and CT activity. - Protecting UK territorial integrity our interests by projecting power strategically (including reducing the threat and through expeditionary operations, and - **2 - To continue to fulfil our standing** of an attack by another state or by providing security for stabilisation and by **commitments, including strategic** proxy using CBRN weapons). building capacity overseas to meet the threat intelligence, the strategic nuclear deterrent, from terrorism upstream. This will mean: defence against direct threats to the UK - Maintenance of our commitment and its Overseas Territories (including to the Falkland Islands, protection - Supporting the NATO-led Chemical, Biological, Radiological and of the other Permanent Joint enforcement of United Nations Nuclear (CBRN)), CT and Military Aid to the Operating Bases and defence of other Security Council Resolutions on Libya. Civil Authorities. Carrying out these roles Overseas Territories as appropriate. - Responding to external threats and is essential to our security and supports - Establishment of the Defence natural disasters, including terrorism, key British interests around the world. Cyber Operations Group. in a manner consistent with HMG’s CT Specifically, we will prioritise the following: strategy (CONTEST), and assisting with - Our contribution to the development - Strategic intelligence. the building of resilience in the UK. ----- - Promoting regional stability and reducing the risk of conflict and terrorism by providing upstream support to conflict prevention, containment and deterrence and stabilisation activities. - Making a Defence contribution to UK influence by directing non- committed capacity overseas in priority countries for Defence engagement, security sector reform and capability building activities. - Strengthening our key Defence partnerships by building constructive - Strengthening multinational challenges; and that we can meet bilateral relationships, in particular relationships, in particular NATO, our obligations to our NATO Allies. reinforcing our relationship with the ensuring that it is able to deliver US and intensifying that with France. - **4 - To promote defence exports** a robust and credible response consistent with export control criteria, as to existing and new security part of a defence diplomacy programme ----- d i i i to strengthen British influence and help - **7 - To deliver Defence in the most effective,** meet the demands of emerging crises support British industry and jobs. We will: **efficient and sustainable way by meeting** while delivering the capability required for benchmarking, efficiency and Government current operations and the inescapable - Reinvigorate our relationships sustainable development targets, building elements of our standing commitments. with international partners. on the Defence Reform Unit’s Review. - Take tough, timely decisions in the Defence - While recognising sovereignty Against the backdrop of these seven priorities, interest, particularly those necessary to and security of supply issues, and in the period to 2020, we will: ensure financial control and an affordable enhance the ‘exportability’ of our Defence programme, so that we can equipment from the concept stage - Retain and develop high quality and plan for the future on a stable footing. for new equipment projects. highly motivated people, while facing up to difficult choices in reducing both - Where it is cost-effective to do so, disinvest - **5 - To implement the SDSR by restructuring** military and civilian personnel. in all capabilities and materiel holdings that our armed forces and their capabilities; do not contribute to: current operations; rebuilding the Armed Forces Covenant; and - Invest in our reserve forces over the the non-discretionary elements of our developing a New Employment Model. next 10 years to enhance their capability standing commitments; the generation and increase their trained strength. - **6 - To implement the Defence Reform** of contingent intervention capability; **Unit’s Review, which will identify** - Build progressively on the residual and, in the longer-term, the regeneration ways of creating a simpler and more contingency held in the force structure (what of capability to achieve FF20. effective organisation and determine we are calling the Transitional Intervention how the MOD can deliver significant Capability) to regenerate our ability to ----- - In taking forward each of the Strategy for In summary, the Strategy for Defence is about we should all ensure that what we are doing Defence priorities, we have a duty of care supporting the National Security Strategy: to delivers or directly supports the Strategy for to minimise risks to the lives of our armed use all our national capabilities to build Britain’s Defence. The transformed Department, the forces personnel, and if they are wounded prosperity, extend our nation’s influence in the future capabilities of our armed forces and to ensure the provision of high quality world and strengthen our national security. the legacy of affordability depend on it. healthcare, wherever they are serving, even Everyone in Defence has a role to play, and while on patrol or in contact. Investment decisions that impact on capability provision for current and future operations must minimise the risk of our not being able to deploy a force that is adequately trained, equipped and sustained. Any risk to safety and health should be As Low As Reasonably **PUS** **CDS** Practicable and must be tolerable. There October 2011 is also a comparable duty of care towards civilian personnel deployed on operations. Detailed, classified direction on the implementation of SfD is provided separately to those responsible for delivery, including planning, programming and finance staffs, in Defence Strategic Direction 2011 and Defence Plan 2011. ----- ----- **© Crown Copyright 10/11 C-e** **Published by the Ministry of Defence UK** **Designed by DMC Secretariat Graphics** -----