British military to launch £1bn cyber and AI army to strike back at Putin’s hackers
29 May 2025, 07:47
The British military is set to invest more than £1 billion in artificial intelligence and a new offensive cyber unit, the Defence Secretary has revealed.
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John Healey said the Armed Forces must be equipped to confront threats from hostile states such as Russia and China, declaring: “The keyboard has become a weapon of war.”
A newly established Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will lead both defensive and offensive operations online. It will also oversee a £1bn upgrade to targeting systems, including the development of an AI-driven "kill web" to rapidly link military platforms across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.
Unveiling the plans at MoD Corsham – the UK's military cyber HQ – Mr Healey said the unit will form a central part of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), due to be published on Monday.
“This is a level of cyber warfare that is continual and intensifying,” he said. “We are under daily attack, and this new command will allow us to defend and strike back more effectively.”
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Pressed on whether the UK’s cyber capabilities would include the power to strike enemy states such as Russia and China, Mr Healey replied: “Yes. The Cyber Command is about removing duplication, setting new standards, and giving new authority to both defensive and offensive cyber.”
It marks the clearest confirmation yet from a government minister that the UK is willing to engage in offensive cyber attacks, not just digital defence.
The new Digital Targeting Web – known informally as the "kill web" – will allow military platforms to identify, track and neutralise threats in real time, whether by warplane, drone, or cyber operation.
For example, a threat detected by a naval or space-based sensor could be neutralised by an F-35 jet or via electromagnetic interference.
The command will also exploit the military’s expertise in jamming, intercepting communications and degrading enemy command systems – tactics used with success by Ukrainian forces resisting Russia’s invasion.
General Sir James Hockenhull, who leads UK Strategic Command, will oversee the new unit. Mr Healey said the SDR recognises how the Ukraine war has shown that military success depends not only on superior kit and training, but also on connectivity and rapid innovation.
“We will give our Armed Forces the ability to act at speeds never seen before – connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster,” he said.
In the past two years, the government has been targeted by 90,000 cyber attacks – double the number recorded in 2023 – largely from hostile states such as Russia and China.
The National Cyber Force, a joint MoD and GCHQ unit, has led cyber operations for five years. It will now work alongside the new command to streamline Britain’s offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.
Mr Healey added that while previous governments had talked up the importance of cyber warfare, this government intends to deliver on those ambitions across all branches of the Armed Forces. “You might have seen the talk – now you’ll see the walk,” he said.
Earlier this month, a report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee warned that ageing government IT systems have left Britain increasingly vulnerable to cyber crime.
It found over a quarter of public sector networks still rely on outdated legacy software. The report followed a series of cyber attacks on major UK retailers including Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and the Co-op. Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, told a conference this month that the number of “nationally significant” cyber attacks had doubled in six months.
To address the growing threat, the MoD is also fast-tracking specialist recruits into military cyber roles through its Cyber Direct Entry programme, as LBC reported last year.
Mr Healey said: “The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine leave us under no illusions. Future conflicts will be won by those who are better connected, better equipped, and who innovate faster than their adversaries. “By attracting the best digital talent and creating a new nerve centre for our cyber capabilities, we’ll ensure Britain is properly defended in the modern age – and ready to act.”
