In June 2025, the UK government released its latest Strategic Defence Review (SDR), a comprehensive plan to reshape the country’s defence and national security strategy for the coming decade. 

While defence reviews can sometimes feel like abstract policy documents, this one is different. It tackles head-on the changing nature of global threats and lays out a roadmap for the UK to compete in a new era of warfare where digital resilience, cyber capability, and technological advantage matter as much as traditional firepower. 

So, what exactly is the 2025 SDR? What’s new, and what will it take to deliver it? 

What is the Strategic Defence Review? 

The SDR is a government-led assessment of the UK's long-term defence priorities. It typically happens every five years and aims to answer key questions like: 

•  What kinds of threats are we facing? 

•  What capabilities does the UK Armed Forces need to respond? 

•  How should defence funding be spent to deliver those capabilities? 

Think of it as a strategy reset, a way to modernise defence policy in line with current risks, new technologies, and evolving international relationships. 

Why now? The world has changed. 

The 2025 SDR comes at a time of profound global change. Over the past few years, we’ve seen: 

• Increased cyber attacks on governments, businesses, and critical infrastructure 

• Hybrid warfare tactics used by state and non-state actors (like disinformation, GPS spoofing, and ransomware) 

• The Ukraine conflict, where a digitally agile force used drones and real-time intelligence to outmanoeuvre a larger traditional army 

• Rapid advances in AI, robotics, and autonomous weapons, raising new questions about control, ethics, and security 

In this context, the UK’s defence strategy needs to evolve and fast. 

What are the key priorities in the SDR? 

The review is built around three central themes: 

1. Digital transformation and cyber resilience 

 “The digital front line is now the first line of defence.” 

One of the SDR’s most urgent priorities is cyber security. With adversaries increasingly targeting networks rather than borders, the UK is investing over £1 billion to bolster its digital defences. 

Two major initiatives are at the heart of this: 

• Cyber and Electromagnetic Command (CyberEM Command) – A new organisation responsible for offensive and defensive cyber operations, reflecting the reality that warfare now includes code, not just combat. 

• Digital Targeting Web (DTW) – A real-time data-sharing system to connect the UK’s armed forces, enhancing battlefield awareness and faster decision-making. 

Together, these represent a fundamental shift in how the UK prepares for and responds to threats, putting information superiority at the centre of operations. 

2. Technology-led capability development 

 “Technology is not a bolt-on. It is the foundation.” 

The SDR calls for significant investment in emerging technologies, including: 

•  Artificial intelligence for threat prediction, autonomous systems, and decision support 

•  Uncrewed aerial and underwater vehicles for surveillance and strike missions 

•  Directed energy weapons (lasers) and long-range missile systems 

•  Quantum and space technologies, which will play an increasing role in intelligence gathering and communications 

One clear indicator of this change is focus is the reorganisation of Strategic Command, Defence Digital, which has been renamed and restructured as the new Cyber and Special Operations Command. This signals a shift in emphasis from legacy IT infrastructure to digitally led operational capability and integrating these tools into military planning, operations, and doctrine from the ground up. 

3. A whole-of-society approach to defence 

“National security is everyone’s business.” 

The SDR outlines a model where defence is not delivered by the military alone but through wider partnerships across society. One major evolution is the concept of “Industry Mission Partners”, firms working alongside armed forces as part of the mission delivery model, not just as suppliers.  

This reflects the nature of modern engagements where operational success relies as much on digital, logistics and communications capabilities as it does boots on the ground.  

This shift includes: 

• Tighter partnerships between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), tech companies, academia, and SMEs 

• A new Defence Industrial Strategy and Exports Office, aimed at boosting UK-based innovation and exports 

• Increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with funding tied to long-term capability and economic growth 

The message is clear: national security can’t be achieved by the military alone. It requires collaboration across sectors, skills, and society. 

What’s ambitious and what’s realistic? 

The SDR is ambitious and necessarily so. The threats are real, the technology is advancing fast, and adversaries are adapting quickly. 

But ambition must be matched with delivery. Many of the SDR’s goals, like faster procurement and integrated digital systems, have been discussed in previous reviews but never fully realised. That’s why the 2025 version goes further, calling for: 

• Procurement cycles measured in months, not years 

• A culture of continuous innovation, not one-off upgrades 

• Breaking down silos between services, between military and civilian sectors, and between operational and digital planning 

Still, scepticism remains. The challenge isn't identifying what needs to change; it’s making that change happen at scale. 

Why it matters for industry and innovation 

One of the most important takeaways from the SDR is the shift in how defence capability will be delivered. 

Gone are the days when a few large contractors dominated long-term defence projects. The MOD is now actively seeking to partner with smaller, more agile companies, including UK-based SMEs, to form consortia of skilled expertise that can deliver critical systems, particularly in cybersecurity, AI, and digital integration, on shorter timescales. That’s where companies like Nexor come in. 

For over 30 years, Nexor has worked alongside the UK MOD and NATO to enable secure information sharing, cross-domain solutions, and cyber resilience. These are exactly the areas the SDR is prioritising. 

We welcome the SDR’s direction, and we stand ready to help deliver on its promises. As the MOD embraces a more connected, technology-led future, we’re bringing trusted solutions that work in real-world military and government environments. 

What happens next? 

It’s been five weeks since the UK government released the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, and already, the conversation has shifted from strategy to delivery. 

In our next article, we’ll explore the practical side of delivery, showing how Nexor’s secure digital technologies support four of the SDR’s most important initiatives.’