UK must prepare for direct conflict with Russia - defense secretary --London will invest $8 billion in long-range missile production, John Healey says | 1 June 2025 | The UK plans to mobilize billions of pounds to bolster its military-industrial base in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia, Defense Secretary John Healey has said. The statement comes ahead of the publication of the government's Strategic Defense Review on Monday. According to the BBC, the report is expected to portray Russia and China as major threats to the UK. The review is expected to allocate 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) toward building six new munitions factories. Over the next five years, London will dedicate around 6 billion pounds ($8.08 billion) to manufacturing long-range weapons, including Storm Shadow missiles, Healey told the BBC on Sunday. The missile, developed jointly with France, has reportedly been used by Ukraine to strike civilian targets in Russian territory, according to Moscow.