RAF Chief Tells Parliament: Defence Review Goals Need More Money

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton testified to a UK Parliament committee in June 2026 that the Strategic Defence Review's stated military ambitions cannot be achieved within current budget allocations. He framed it as a capability constraint: without additional funding, defence plans will be scaled back. The gap between the SDR's high-end commitments—expanded air defence, fifth-generation integration, space and cyber investment—and Treasury allocations remains unresolved.