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BAE Systems warns UK is complacent as attack threat hits lifetime high
The company executive urged the UK to increase spending to meet a plan to reach 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035, saying autonomy in drones and counter drones is advancing rapidly.
BAE Systems CEO Dr Charles Woodburn warned the UK has been too complacent about foreign attack risk, telling BBC Business in an exclusive interview that the threat level is the highest he has seen in his lifetime.
Woodburn said recent defence spending increases are a positive step, but more funding is needed to reach the government commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035.
He also cautioned the UK is “not far” from autonomous lethal weapons being used by countries that do not maintain human control, arguing modern warfare has changed “quite profoundly” and that Russia and Ukraine have become adept at using autonomy through drones and counter drones.
Woodburn described BAE Systems’ strategy for countering those capabilities, including collaborative combat aircraft designed to pair with manned fighters, while also saying traditional platforms like battleships and submarines still have a role.