Speech at DSEI by Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General David Eastman MBE, about the British Army's place in an increasingly dangerous world.
Distinguished guests, ministers, colleagues from across the armed forces, leaders from industry and academia, and our international partners - good morning.
It is an honour to speak on behalf of the Chief of the General Staff at this year's Defence and Security Equipment International. DSEI is more than an exhibition; it is a meeting place of ideas, innovation, and partnership - a moment where nations, industry, and the military community come together to chart the future of our collective security.
Today, I want to speak plainly about the British Army's place in an increasingly dangerous world. We face challenges of a scale and complexity we have not seen in generations. And yet, we stand at a moment of opportunity - to modernise, to adapt, and to lead alongside our allies. The British Army is ready to meet this moment. But to succeed, we must do it together.
The world around us is undergoing profound change.
In Europe, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shattered assumptions about the nature of warfare and security on our continent. It has reminded us that high-intensity, state-on-state conflict is no longer theoretical. It is happening now, in our backyard, and it is driving NATO's most significant transformation in a generation.
In the Indo-Pacific, China's growing assertiveness is reshaping the balance of power, while tensions across the Taiwan Strait reverberate globally.
In the Middle East and parts of Africa, persistent instability, terrorism, and fragile states continue to drive insecurity, mass migration, and human suffering - challenges that do not respect borders and demand collective responses.
And beyond the physical battlespace, we face emerging threats in cyber, space, artificial intelligence, and information warfare - domains where advantage is fleeting, and competition is constant.
Against this backdrop, Britain's role is clear: we must remain a credible, capable, and committed ally. As a leading member of NATO and a global security partner, the British Army plays a vital role in deterrence, reassurance, and rapid response. But we cannot afford complacency. In this environment, relevance is earned, not assumed.
The Strategic Defence Review set out a clear vision for how the United Kingdom will meet these challenges: an integrated, agile, and resilient defence posture, underpinned by closer alignment across government, industry, and allies. We will prioritise our Corps-level warfighting ability to be a force that deters through strength and demonstrates leadership through action. Our deployments to Estonia and Poland, our training missions across the globe, and our continued support to Ukraine are proof of this commitment.
We must be the Army that NATO wants and the Nation needs. CGS has set the target of doubling by 2030, with the SDR setting us the target of becoming 10x more lethal as a fighting force by 2035 - an ambitious target that we are well on the way to achieving.
As the Chief of the General Staff laid out in this speech at RUSI earlier this year, this means three things for the Army:
Firstly, we must meet our commitment to NATO by providing the Strategic Reserve Corps; two fighting divisions, supported by Corps-level capabilities, which is ready to respond to a peer-level threat in Europe. A corps that delivers speed and reach onto NATO's perimeter and, if needs be, the wherewithal to recover territory.
Secondly, we must ensure our capability to sustain a warfighting effort. The SDR seeks not just to reset or deepen the relationship with industry, but to build a new defence industrial ecosystem. Rebuilding the National Arsenal is fundamental to both innovating in peacetime and being able to scale that production to support the force in times of war.
Thirdly, in order to achieve this, the Army must rebuild its' connection to the nation. As history has shown us, a future conflict may well rely on our entire society for success.
But we cannot do this alone. In order to be the best fighting force possible, we must be integrated - operating seamlessly alongside the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, our intelligence community, and our NATO allies across all domains. Land, sea, air, cyber, and space are no longer separate theatres; they are interdependent, and success requires unity of effort.
The SDR makes clear that our credibility also relies on modernisation. Our current structures, equipment, and processes will not meet tomorrow's challenges. Which is why transformation and modernisation is no longer optional - it is urgent, and our focus is now firmly on achieving growth through transformation.
A lot of this is going to take time. How do we move faster? How do we challenge our own thinking and method? The answer from our perspective is the Army Challenge Set unveiled at the ASGARD demonstration in July. This is intended to help industry partners in the search for new ideas and technologies.
Maximising stand-off distance, whilst maintaining precision, low latency of target information, and processing resilience in end to end targeting enterprise and flexibility on the battlefield.
Facilitating protection and movement by blinding sensors, deceiving enemy systems, disrupting enemy end-to-end fires pipelines while maintaining and sustaining friendly energy emissions across visible spectrum and protecting against enemy munitions.
Dominating areas we cannot see, across airwaves and inside networks, without fratricide against our own requirements.
Sustaining operations in extended, transparent, and lethal battlespace where dispersal and concealment are the norm.
Modernisation is not about buying new kit for the sake of it. It is about making the Army relevant in a world where speed, precision, and information dominance decide outcomes.
We are entering an age where conflicts will be fought in multi-domain environments, where decisions are measured in seconds and superiority is built on data as much as firepower. So to succeed, the British Army must evolve in three key areas:
Principally, digital transformation. Modernisation isn't just hardware; it's software, data, and networks. The ability to sense, decide, and strike faster than an adversary will define victory and our operational advantage increasingly depends on data. We must harness higher levels of robotic autonomy; AI's powers of orchestration and synchronisation; strong and resilient digital networks; and a more interconnected series of systems. Lag in any of these areas and we will be out-competed. Back in July, the Army revealed and demonstrated Project ASGARD, the programme which is harnessing the power of AI to link any sensor to any effector, and both refine and expedite decision making processes to reduce kill-chain times from hours to seconds. ASGARD is no longer conceptual; it is here, today, and revolutionising warfare for British Soldiers.
Next, capability. We are investing in next-generation platforms like the BOXER armoured vehicle, AJAX reconnaissance systems, long-range fires, and integrated air defence. But while these exquisite systems remain crucial to our force, in order to reach 10x lethality we can no longer be reliant on those alone; the next era of warfighting capability will see these exquisite systems comprise just 20% of our capability. We plan for 40% of our lethality to consist of attritable systems such as uncrewed systems, and the remaining 40% to come from consumable systems in the form of long-range one-way effectors. So for the same amount of money that we could use to double the lethality of an AH pair buy buying two more platforms, we will be able to multiply their lethality ten-fold, for the same money, by equipping them with a suite of uncrewed airframes, and OWE munitions.
Lastly, people. Technology alone doesn't win wars; people do. Our soldiers remain our greatest asset, and modernisation means equipping them with the tools, training, and mindset needed to thrive in an environment of constant change. We have received the direction to grow the Army to deliver not only our commitment to NATO NDPP targets, but also Homeland Defence and our own Sovereign requirements. Inflow is ultimately key to an increase in long-term strength and the need to get to an Army of at least 76k Regulars and 34k Reserves in the next parliament in that context requires us to adopt a more transformative approach. Op INVECTOR is our plan to deliver renewed emphasis on attracting, converting and training, the next generation of soldier.
But modernisation also requires partnership. We cannot - and should not - do this alone. Our success depends on deep collaboration with industry, academia, and our allies. In conjunction with these vital partners, we have proven that we can be agile and adaptable in this ever-evolving environment. The next stage of this challenge is to demonstrate that we can scale this approach.
"I suspect that many of you, like me, spent Monday evening avidly reading the newly published Defence Industrial Strategy following its much-anticipated release. Where the Strategic Defence Review defines what we must achieve, the Defence Industrial Strategy explains how we will build a resilient, high-growth industrial base to deliver it.
For those of us in the land domain, this is not the start of a new journey but the next phase of one already underway. Through the Land Enterprise Working Group, we routinely meet with partners to tackle shared challenges and maintain a common understanding of priorities. The Land Campaigns Capability Office has deepened collaboration across government and industry, enabling new partnerships and export opportunities with our closest allies. We have reshaped the way we assess value in our investment decisions - placing greater emphasis on industrial resilience and international collaboration.
These efforts are already delivering results. Together with industry, we have already seen four new factories built in the UK, with further investment opportunities now being negotiated. This is tangible progress - evidence of a partnership that is not only equipping our forces but also boosting the wider economy.
The new Defence Industrial Strategy builds on these foundations and sets an ambitious goal: to make the UK a Defence Industrial Leader by 2035. To achieve this, it focuses on six priorities:
• Making defence an engine for growth, through initiatives like Defence Growth Deals, a Defence Finance and Investment Strategy, and regional STEM and apprenticeship programmes.
• Backing UK industry by directing greater investment towards domestic suppliers and priority sectors.
• Positioning the UK as a defence innovation leader, harnessing emerging technologies and the strength of our wider tech ecosystem.
• Building a resilient and sovereign industrial base that enhances deterrence and underpins NATO and allied security.
• Transforming procurement and acquisition systems to reduce waste, accelerate delivery, and improve productivity.
• Strengthening partnerships with industry and international allies to remain globally competitive and operationally aligned.
For the Army, this strategy carries particular weight. Ground combat systems, complex weapons, and munitions are recognised as National Security Priorities, ensuring investment aligns with the needs of the land environment. It is equally significant to see next-generation land capabilities identified as key drivers of economic growth, demonstrating the industrial momentum already underway. We will also lean more heavily on dual-use technologies - from quantum science to drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence - areas where programmes like ASGARD are already developing disruptive solutions.
In short, the Defence Industrial Strategy provides the industrial framework to deliver the Strategic Defence Review's vision: for the UK to be "a leading tech-enabled defence power, with an integrated force that deters, fights, and wins - through constant innovation at wartime
Ladies and gentlemen, we stand at an inflection point. The character of warfare is changing. The threats we face are accelerating. But so too are our opportunities to shape the future.
The British Army is transforming - modernising to deter aggression, defend our nation, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies wherever we are needed.
But transformation is a team effort. It demands the very best of our people, our industry, our partners, and our allies. And that is why DSEI matters - because it brings us together to innovate, to collaborate, and to prepare for what lies ahead.
Together, we will ensure that the British Army remains not only relevant but decisive in the defence of the nation and the security of our allies.
