Rearming the UK: What equipment? and how much?

[zen]

"Officials have been advised by US insiders to reduce Britain’s reliance on American equipment"

MoD makes kit wish list after £6bn increase in defence spending

Officials have been advised by US insiders to reduce Britain’s reliance on American equipment

www.thetimes.com

50+ years late but at least a start in the right thinking.

Sadly we need 25 years of solid investment to turn things round and any crash efforts would provoke....a crash unsurprisingly.

 

[Forest Green]

"Officials have been advised by US insiders to reduce Britain’s reliance on American equipment"

MoD makes kit wish list after £6bn increase in defence spending

Officials have been advised by US insiders to reduce Britain’s reliance on American equipment

www.thetimes.com

I image other EU countries are moving in the same direction. An unintended consequence of Trump's actions.

 

[Scott Kenny]

I image other EU countries are moving in the same direction. An unintended consequence of Trump's actions.

I'd actually argue that's an intended consequence.

Designing and building your own stuff increases military spending, which has long been a rant of Trump's.

 

[CliSwe]

I'd actually argue that's an intended consequence.

Designing and building your own stuff increases military spending, which has long been a rant of Trump's.

Traditionally, US defence manufacturers have designed and built with export markets in mind. Does Trump intend to damage US military exports? Because that is the immediate consequence of European nations spending more on local design and production. Correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[starviking]

I'd actually argue that's an intended consequence.

Designing and building your own stuff increases military spending, which has long been a rant of Trump's.

Possibly, but there is this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-13/trump-tells-europe-to-buy-american-weapons-to-keep-nato-strong

 

[starviking]

I image other EU countries are moving in the same direction. An unintended consequence of Trump's actions.

And if you consider his administrations’ rule-breaking approach, it makes perfect sense.

Can maintenance, repair, sustainment, and even use of US weapons be 100% guaranteed?

A few months back, I would have said “Yes”.

Now, I’d say “Maybe”.

 

[Forest Green]

I'd actually argue that's an intended consequence.

Designing and building your own stuff increases military spending, which has long been a rant of Trump's.

Doubt it, Trump is all about more US exports and less imports in general if you've noticed his moves with tariffs.

 

[Dolgoth Sepk]

And if you consider his administrations’ rule-breaking approach, it makes perfect sense.

Can maintenance, repair, sustainment, and even use of US weapons be 100% guaranteed?

If your foreign policy is to follow the US, then this issue wouldn’t exist.

 

[Forest Green]

If your foreign policy is to follow the US, then this issue wouldn’t exist.

Unless you are following US policy but after 4 years the diplomatic equivalent of a Cleveland Steamroller is elected in US who completely reverses policy, condemns the US's own UN resolution and gives a general sense that he may even be employed by the other side. Not that that would ever happen of course.

 

[Dolgoth Sepk]

Unless you are following US policy but after 4 years the diplomatic equivalent of a Cleveland Steamroller is elected in US who completely reverses policy, condemns the US's own UN resolution and gives a general sense that he may even be employed by the other side. Not that that would ever happen of course.

If following the US is the fundamental foreign policy, then when US foreign policy makes a 180-degree shift, you should also make a 180-degree shift. If you cannot do so, it is your problem, not America's.

Returning to the main post: If your foreign policy is following the US, then questions like 'What equipment? And how much?' become irrelevant. Instead, you should directly consult the US on 'What should I buy? How much?"

 

[CliSwe]

If following the US is the fundamental foreign policy, then when U.S. foreign policy makes a 180-degree shift, you should also make a 180-degree shift. If you cannot do so, it is your problem, not America's.

Generations of lemmings would agree. Rational thinkers ... might not.

 

[Forest Green]

If following the US is the fundamental foreign policy, then when US foreign policy makes a 180-degree shift, you should also make a 180-degree shift. If you cannot do so, it is your problem, not America's.

Returning to the main post: If your foreign policy is following the US, then questions like 'What equipment? And how much?' become irrelevant. Instead, you should directly consult the US on 'What should I buy? How much?"

Can we draw the line if the US starts barking and chasing its tail?

 

[Dolgoth Sepk]

Generations of lemmings would agree. Rational thinkers ... might not.

When you choose to follow the US, thinking becomes the responsibility of the US, not yours.

Can we draw the line if the US starts barking and chasing its tail?

If you cannot clearly draw a line with US actions, I believe it will be very difficult.
At the Security Council resolution, the UK and France could have voted against it, but they abstained

 

[CliSwe]

Can we draw the line if the US starts barking and chasing its tail?

I think the line should be drawn right now - under this non-discussion you're perpetrating.

 

[Dolgoth Sepk]

I think the line should be drawn right now - under this non-discussion you're perpetrating.

If there's an elephant in the room, not talking about it doesn't change its presence. Oh, and now there's a panda too.
ps：Recent Gripen exports seem to be affected by the US. Can you guarantee that future equipment will have no US technology?

 

[CliSwe]

If there's an elephant in the room, not talking about it doesn't change its presence. Oh, and now there's a panda too.
ps：Recent Gripen exports seem to be affected by the US. Can you guarantee that future equipment will have no US technology?

Can the US guarantee whatever they buy or build will be exclusively American?

 

[Forest Green]

If there's an elephant in the room

Ooo ooo, is it an orange elephant?

 

[CliSwe]

Ooo ooo, is it an orange elephant?

It might even be Green.

 

[Scott Kenny]

If your foreign policy is to follow the US, then this issue wouldn’t exist.

The problem is that the US is bipolar and reverses positions every 4-12 years, usually every 8 or so.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Traditionally, US defence manufacturers have designed and built with export markets in mind. Does Trump intend to damage US military exports? Because that is the immediate consequence of European nations spending more on local design and production. Correct me if I'm wrong?

Intend to? Probably not.

But he sure does intend for all of NATO to abide by the 2% spending or suffer consequences.