Kemi Badenoch announces Britannia Shield missile defence system
Kemi Badenoch has pledged to build Britain its own £10bn ‘Iron Dome’ missile interception system aimed at protecting the UK from future military attacks, reports BritPanorama.
“The world will not wait for Britain to get ready,” the Tory leader announced at the third day of the party’s annual conference in Birmingham, pointing to the transformational effect of cheap drones on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Ms Badenoch stated: “If a missile or drone is launched at Britain, we do not get a second chance to wish we had prepared. That is why today we are announcing Britannia Shield — a new national missile-and-drone defence system to protect the whole United Kingdom, our sovereign territories and British bases overseas.”
The Conservatives aim to have Britannia Shield fully operational by the end of their first term in government if elected at the next general election. Badenoch has also committed to increasing defence spending to three per cent of GDP by 2030 by reinstating the two-child benefit cap and reforming housing benefit.
James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, is set to unveil further details of Britannia Shield at the party conference on Tuesday. He is expected to outline the need for investment in advanced radar and interceptor missiles due to “the threats that we face” today.
According to reports, Mr Cartlidge will provide a timeline of five years for the system to establish a ‘minimum deployable capability’, with further improvements anticipated thereafter.
The system is understood to be modelled on Israel’s Iron Dome, which has effectively countered threats from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Its manufacturer, Rafael, claimed last May that the Iron Dome successfully intercepted 99 per cent of its targets since 2023.
Britannia Shield would integrate radar, command systems, and interceptor missiles into a unified network, enhancing the UK’s ability to counter foreign threats.
Late last year, the UK defence committee warned that Britain had “next to nothing” in terms of integrated air and missile defences, highlighting the increasing prevalence of aerial drone threats.
Currently, the UK lacks missile interceptors like the US Patriots, which have been crucial in Ukraine’s defence against Russian missiles. Instead, it relies on its six Type 45 destroyer ships for missile interceptions, with only three operational as of January 2026.
These destroyers are scheduled to be replaced by hybrid Common Combat Vessels by 2038, following the scrapping of previous plans for a guided missile destroyer. Labour has pledged to allocate at least 3.5 per cent of GDP to defence by 2035 but faces scrutiny, as recent reports suggest new chancellor John Healey may abandon his earlier commitment to achieve 3 per cent by 2030.
The government has allocated £298bn for defence improvements over the next four years as part of the Strategic Defence Review, yet only £790m has been earmarked for protecting the UK and its overseas bases from air, drone, and missile threats.
Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), noted last year that enhancing UK national defences against subsonic cruise missiles should be a priority until 2030, urging a sequenced investment strategy to match evolving threats.
As the landscape of global military threats continues to evolve, the commitment to strengthen the UK’s defensive posture remains a pivotal point for the government moving forward.
