A House of Lords committee has warned that the Government must move faster to strengthen Britain’s defence industry if the country is to meet the Defence Secretary’s target of being ready to fight or deter military action within 1,000 days. The cross-party Industry and Regulators Committee published its report, Ready for Action in 1,000 Days? Forging a New Partnership Between Government and the Defence Industry, on 11 November 2026. It welcomes reforms already begun but says procurement, industrial capacity and workforce development must accelerate.
A preparedness target, not a war prediction
The 1,000-day timeframe refers to the Defence Secretary’s objective for Britain to be ready to fight or deter military action. It is not an intelligence forecast that war will begin within that period. The committee links the urgency of preparedness to the changing security environment and lessons from the war in Ukraine.
Speed up defence procurement
Peers want the Ministry of Defence to procure equipment faster and adopt a less risk-averse approach to emerging technologies. They recommend that the Government report annually to Parliament on performance against the Defence Industrial Strategy’s procurement targets, beginning by June 2027.
Give British suppliers a greater role
The report calls for defence procurement to place greater weight on UK manufacturers, including substantial UK production and domestic small and medium-sized businesses in supply chains. It also wants clearer expectations for major contractors about how they work with smaller suppliers.
Prepare to scale up drone production
The committee recommends contracting sufficient industrial capacity to produce and adapt unmanned systems, including drones, in the event of conflict. Its concern is whether industry could increase output quickly when required, not merely whether equipment can be bought today.
Provide long-term certainty and skills
Peers want an indicative multi-year pipeline of defence work so companies and investors can plan. They also call for clarity about how central, local and devolved governments and industry will develop the skilled workers needed by the sector.
Prime Minister and Treasury urged to lead
The committee argues that the Ministry of Defence cannot deliver the necessary cultural shift alone. It says leadership from the Prime Minister and support from HM Treasury are essential to give businesses confidence. The report cites the Chancellor’s commitment to defence expenditure reaching 3% of GDP by 2030.
Defence Investment Summit and Government response
Committee chair Baroness Hayter urged ministers to use the Defence Investment Summit on 1 December 2026 to provide certainty to industry. A formal Government response to the Lords report is due by 11 January 2027. The committee’s recommendations are not Government decisions and have not all been implemented.