The UK must transform its Armed Forces at a “wartime pace”, the Defence Secretary has said.

John Healey said Britain’s enemies needed to be aware that the country could innovate quickly.

He made the comments as he launched the defence industrial strategy, which aims to enhance the UK’s defence sector.

He announced that the Ministry of Defence would “war game” how the military would maintain weapon supplies during a conflict. Defence companies will be involved in the exercises for the first time.

Mr Healey told journalists during a visit to the Honourable Artillery Company to see drone technology: “The reason behind this is that we need together – government and industry – to be capable of innovation at a wartime pace.”

He said that the Government needed to take “to heart” lessons from Ukraine, which showed that a “nation’s armed forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them”.

Gifting