Chancellor awards extra £1bn to the armed forces More money for defence as UK faces ‘immediate pressures’

Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced an additional £1 billion for defence spending in the Budget.

The Tory frontbencher said there had been “stark reminders” over the past year of the “scale, scope and complexity of the threats we face”.

And he stressed that as a former defence secretary he understood the “immediate pressures” facing the armed forces.

He said the money would boost the UK’s cyber capabilities, antisubmarine warfare capacity and maintain the pace of the Dreadnought programme to ensure continuous at-sea deterrence.

The Treasury said that together with funding announced in March, defence will have benefited from an additional £1.8bn over 2018-19 and 2019-20.

And there are plans for a “comprehensive consideration” of defence spending next year.

This will be based on a review currently being conducted by the defence secretary, Cabinet Office and Treasury into modernisation in response to the changing threat.

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie, a former Royal Navy officer, welcomed the news.

He said: “This initial commitment to the armed forces comes ahead of a spending review next year.

“The Secretary of State has been very active against the prospect of cuts to the defence estate and this is surely an early vote of confidence for Britain’s service personnel.

“The express commitment to the Dreadnought programme

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