Two thirds of UK public want to see military strength increase in next ten years

• 66% of the UK public wants to see military strength increase in next ten years, and 67% think the UK’s industrial base needs strengthening to support the armed forces
• 66% feel it’s important they understand what the military does, but only 26% feel they get enough information from the armed forces
• 72% feel positively about the armed forces – up 11% since 2017 – with 63% indicating trust in the military

Two thirds of the public want to see the UK’s military strength increase in the next ten years, according to PwC’s Forces for Change report, which polled 3,000 UK citizens from the age of 16 upwards. With 72% expressing positive feelings towards the armed forces (11% higher than in 2017), the report underlines a consensus of support for their role in society and an alertness to heightened national security threats.

Two thirds of the UK public think the UK’s industrial base – its skills, supply chain and manufacturing capacity – requires strengthening to enable the military to function effectively and sustain itself during conflict.

There is clear interest in the armed forces’ mission: 66% of Britons feel it is important they understand what the military does, and 55% want more information on how its money is spent. Communication with the public remains a challenge, however, with only 26% of respondents happy that they get enough information about the armed forces.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the changing fundamentals of modern warfighting: the rapid use of disruptive technology to better use existing systems, such as relatively cheap, simple drones with accurate, AI-enabled targeting. For the UK to maintain effective combat readiness, its industrial base must be innovative and agile enough to exploit the latest technology to continually improve the effectiveness of military systems. It must also have the capacity to scale up and sustain production in the event of sustained conflict.

The public recognises the changing nature of security risks, with 23% of respondents citing cyber-attack as the greatest threat to the UK in the near future - up from 11% in 2015. There remains majority support for retaining the nuclear deterrent.

To drive industry, respondents identified that faster procurement and entry into service of new equipment (36%) should be the most pressing priority for the MoD. Alongside a focus on speeding up procurement, the public favours support for high tech manufacturing (29%), the better exploitation of digital technology (25%) and the greater backing of UK SMEs (25%). 

The public is split on whether the Government should prioritise value for money in procurement (41%) or supporting British companies and industry (42%). There is significant variation between the devolved nations, however: while respondents from Wales were more likely to support defence spending being used to stimulate UK business, those from Northern Ireland and Scotland prefer the Government to seek value for money.

Ian Hillier, Defence lead for PwC in the UK, said:

“This report reveals calls from the public not only to strengthen the military, but to create stronger ties between our forces and industry. There’s an awareness of the potential for national defence to drive economic and industrial growth while safeguarding our security. 

“There are challenges. Even as defence spending increases, funding gaps will remain, leading to difficult choices to ensure the right strategic balance between developing new capabilities and sustaining readiness to fight.

“Our research clearly demonstrates the public understand that the UK faces new and fast-changing threats, and our defence capabilities are under more pressure and scrutiny than at any time since the Cold War.

“There is broad support for developing our military strength and the robust industrial base required to maintain it. UK citizens are calling for greater transparency on the armed forces’ operations and how public money is spent.

“To sustain public support, Government and MoD leaders need to consider how they deliver the level of clarity and communication the public wants. High levels of public support should give policy makers license to be bold and invest in the modernisation of industry to support agile, responsive armed forces.”