Days after high-profile resignations of the MoD’s political leadership, the UK’s armed forces’ professional chief, Sir Rich Knighton, has said that without more funding the UK will need to “wind down” both its military exercises and frontline operational activities.
The Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Air Force, who has served as Chief of the Defense Staff since September 2025, told the House of Lords Defense and International Relations Committee. June 16, 2026that the UK would need to “reduce our activities; our exercise, operational activity, if the level of funding resources that we have at our disposal does not increase”.
“If we look back at the situation 20 years ago, the split between resource spending and capital spending was about 80/20. Today it is about 60/40: 60% in activity and resources, and 40% in capital. According to the current projection, by the time we get to 2030 it will be 50/50.”
Rich Knighton, CDS, freely told a House of Lords Committee that the DIP agreement that @JohnHealey_MP resigned does not provide enough RDEL (daily running expenses) budget for defense: operations and training will have to be cut.
If this is imposed, a resignation… pic.twitter.com/PJpbHeoHQ4
– Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) June 16, 2026
Knighton is referring here to what is known as the Ministry of Defense (MoD) RDEL (Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit) budget, which covers the day-to-day running costs of the armed forces. Increases to the Ministry of Defense budget for capital expenditure, which covers the development and acquisition of new equipment, have far exceeded any increase to the RDEL budget.
This mismatch is due in part to several large and expensive procurement programs currently underway: the battleship class of ballistic missile submarines, the sixth generation fighter of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), the Type 26 frigates and the problematic Ajax armored car program to name just a few. These costly programs have required large injections of funds into the Ministry of Defence’s non-RDEL budget.
Why is the RDEL budget essential for UK Defence?
The UK MoD operates under two key funding streams: Resource DEL (RDEL) for day-to-day running costs (paying staff, training, equipment support, operations and maintenance) and Capital DEL (CDEL) for new… https://t.co/KOHoH9khlp
—Scotty (@scottyeders) June 17, 2026
In the meantime, however, RDEL’s own costs are facing significant increases. Fuel costs have risen dramatically, while the Ministry of Defense is simultaneously tasked with stretching itself further than at any time since the Cold War. The planned return to Europe and the North Atlantic after Afghanistan has been left in tatters following continued unrest in the Middle East, which has required the deployment of additional UK forces to protect national interests and support regional partners.
Ministerial resignations
An inevitable backdrop to Knighton’s comments is that the Ministry of Defense itself has undergone rapid and unforeseen change with the departure of John Healey from the role of Secretary of State for Defence. Healey had held this role since the current government took office in 2024, having played the shadow counterpart to the role in the opposition since April 2020.
Healey was joined by the now former Under Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Al Carns, who, until being elected to Parliament in 2024, previously served in the Royal Marines and achieved the rank of colonel. Although it has not been officially confirmed, it is an open secret in British political circles that Carns served as a senior officer in the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) and took part in every major conflict the UK has been involved in over the last quarter of a century.
Healey’s explosive resignation aimed at the heart of the Government he had loyally defended, accusing him and the Prime Minister of failing to “commit the resources the nation needs to defend the country at this time of growing threats”. Insiders have said his resignation came as a shock to the entire cabinet, and worsens Keir Starmer’s position amid the still open threat of leadership challenges.
One of his main criticisms revolves around the still unpublished Defense Investment Plan (DIP), which was promised to follow last year’s Strategic Defense Review. Major procurement decisions have been delayed until the DIP is finalized, putting immense pressure on companies hoping to receive major defense contracts. In one noteworthy case, Aeralis, a company hoping to produce an all-British modular training aircraft, fell into administration.
Carns added fuel to the fire, stating that even as defense minister he had not been included in DIP discussions until two weeks before his resignation. He has since tagged it “not fit for purpose”.
“They haven’t included me in the defense investment plan from the beginning. They only read it to me two weeks ago.”
Al Carns shares what was “fuzzling” [his] pens” enough to prompt him to resign as Minister of the Armed Forces and says that in the event of a leadership race, “if anyone… pic.twitter.com/0gQDNYKpfO
— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) June 13, 2026
talking to the guardianCarns lashed out at what he saw as excessive waste and bureaucracy within the ministry. “It’s incredible. If you turn one stone and get another shock, how has this been allowed to continue like this? And if you turn another stone, it’s just layers of bureaucracy that are now costing us more than the product you’re getting itself. I can’t describe the level of inefficiency in the system that we’re left with that we’re trying to undo. But it’s actually exceptionally difficult to do.”
The new Secretary of State for Defense is Dan Jarvis, who took up the role from the Home Office, where he served as Minister of State for Security. Jarvis, like Carns, is a decorated military veteran. Serving in the British Army, he achieved the rank of Major before leaving the forces in 2011 after 14 years.
Jarvis notably served as a staff officer for general sir mike jackson in Kosovo when Jackson refused an order from Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Wesley Clark (US Army) to proceed with a plan to seize Pristina International Airport even though it was then under the control of Russian forces. Best-selling singer James Blunt was also present at this event, serving under Jackson as Captain.
EXC: Dan Jarvis faces having to make “very significant cuts” within the MoD if he cannot find more money.
– Options on the table last week included reducing investment in drones and artificial intelligence, cutting reserve days and cutting exercises.
– the £13.5bn bid included…– Larisa Brown (@larisamlbrown) June 16, 2026
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the new secretary is said to be reevaluating the DIPnow supposedly delayed until (at least) July. The loss of Healey and Carns is believed to have potentially swayed opinions within the cabinet to back spending increases, meaning Jarvis may have a smoother path forward. The fear of losing another defense secretary if they face a similar obstacle will also force Starmer and the Treasury, led by chancellor Rachel Reeves.
