Lessons learnt from warfare in Ukraine, such as the importance of drones, have not been enacted and outdated projects should be “ditched”, the head of Britain's armed forces has said.
During a talk at the DSEI defence exhibition, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has called on forces to rapidly adapt their fighting capabilities, suggesting they build a fleet of 500 warships but with “400 of them drones”, or an air force of 2,000 fighters but three quarters of them unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Chief of the Defence Staff also questioned if Britain’s £53 billion ($66 billion) defence budget was being spent “as wisely as possible”.
“What do we need to change? What do we need to actually ditch? What do we need to reprioritise to bring in extraordinary technology that's on offer?” he asked.
He also questioned why the military had to “live with some of our ridiculous hierarchy and processes to do things differently in order to deliver more”.
Ukraine was also demonstrating that long-range missiles and attack drones were having a real impact on the ability to penetrate a country’s defences, with both Moscow and Kyiv suffering strikes.
“Do we need to have a conversation about integrated air missile defence?” he asked. “Do we need to work even more closely with GCHQ and our intelligence partners in order to better protect not only the department of defence but our nation?”
It was now key for Britain’s military leaders to enact the lessons learnt from the war, the admiral said.
“If we're providing literally hundreds of one-way attack drones to Ukraine, then when we look at our own army where are our one-way attack drone regiments?”
Similarly, with Ukraine’s advances in naval attack drones, that have severely damaged two Russia ships, Sir Tony questioned why the Royal Navy was not developing a “coastal raiding squadron”.
He urged military commanders to think differently, using their budgets for better procurement.
“What would it look like to have 500 ships in the navy, but 400 of those are drones? What would it look like to have an air force of 2,000 aircraft but 1,500 of them drones?” he asked.
“That feels to me that that's the journey that we're on, how we make that a more mainstream part of our armed forces.”
The admiral also praised the “extraordinary statecraft” to address global threats that was currently happening among world leaders, with US President Joe Biden inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington and the “relationship that you're seeing with the UK and Saudi Arabia”.
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2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
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The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
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The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
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Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
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Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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