What the UK’s Strategic Defence Review Means for British Defence Innovation

The United Kingdom’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) marks a decisive moment in British defence policy, placing autonomy, digital innovation and accelerated delivery at the heart of its approach. It recognises that strategic advantage will no longer come from outspending adversaries but from out-innovating them.

The message is clear: Defence innovation is now a strategic capability in its own right. Autonomy will be fundamental to the UK’s ability to meet future threats, and the SDR calls for faster development cycles, stronger collaboration between government and industry, and a clear focus on dual-use technologies.

At Applied Intuition, we’re fully aligned with this vision. As a company built around advanced autonomy and digital-first development, we welcome the emphasis on rapid capability delivery and system interoperability. Our recent expansion into the UK puts us in a strong position to support the SDR’s ambitions. 

“The Strategic Defence Review’s emphasis on digital innovation, autonomy and accelerated capability delivery is exactly the direction defence needs to move in, and it reflects the ambition we’ve seen from the government to lead in next-generation military technology,” said Tristam Constant, Head of European Government and Defence at Applied Intuition UK. “That’s why Applied Intuition is investing £50M into a permanent UK presence, with strong support from the Department for Business and Trade and Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson. Our latest investment puts us in a strong position to support the Review’s goals, helping the British defence industry build, test and deploy autonomous systems faster and with greater confidence.”

The SDR sets out forward-looking recommendations, including doubling investment in autonomous systems during this Parliament and committing £400 million annually to UK defence innovation. Crucially, it reframes autonomy not as a future aspiration, but as a current operational necessity—a shift that matches our strengths in simulation, modular system development, and safety assurance through digital testing.

This shift is informed by real-world lessons, especially from the war in Ukraine. Fast targeting cycles, contested logistics and the widespread use of uncrewed systems underscore the need for adaptive, software-driven defence solutions. New programmes like the Digital Targeting Web, linking sensors and effectors across domains, have the potential to show what’s possible when innovation drives modernisation.

Defence firms must now operate differently. Traditional development cycles are too slow. Industry needs to be agile, iterate in real time, and blend commercial and military innovation more effectively. Modular design, rapid prototyping and user-centred development should become the new normal—not just for startups, but for established firms as well.

While the review sets a promising tone, the success of its ambitions hinges on follow-through. The upcoming Spending Review to the Autumn Budget, and the Defence Investment Plan, could be the tools to help to catalyse these recommendations into reality.

As the Ministry of Defence moves from strategy to execution, we stand ready to support—from simulation and testing to autonomous system deployment. This is not just a moment to invest in new technology, but in long-term resilience, readiness and mission success.