Britain should not assume that NATO allies will prioritise assisting one another in the event of a conflict with Russia, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned ahead of his first visit to Washington. Speaking to the House of Lords industry and regulators committee, Streeting cautioned that in a war scenario, member states are likely to "think about themselves first," underscoring the risks posed by integrated supply chains within the alliance.

Using the analogy of an airplane safety briefing, Streeting explained that countries would be expected to secure their own defensive needs—"put your own oxygen mask on before helping others"—before providing support to partners. He emphasised that while allies would consider collective security, national interests would take precedence during crisis situations.

Streeting highlighted the need for the United Kingdom to improve its sovereign defence capabilities and national resilience. He pointed to regulatory challenges hindering the development and testing of defence technologies domestically, citing the example of a Royal Marine innovating underwater drone technology but constrained to testing in a backyard pond due to strict regulations. He called for a more facilitative approach to foster innovation, acknowledging ongoing government efforts to reduce regulatory barriers.

The defence secretary also addressed the strategic dilemma faced by ministers in balancing investments between British defence firms and procurement from overseas, notably through joint programmes with European allies and the United States. He noted that under US law, American defence manufacturers must prioritise supplying the US government in wartime, a provision the UK currently lacks. This could result in Britain being deprioritised behind other European customers such as Germany and France if orders are not placed promptly with domestic suppliers.

In his remarks, Streeting outlined plans to deepen collaboration with the US, focusing on joint military procurement and enhanced cooperation between British and American laboratories and manufacturers. He framed this effort as a shift from reliance on historical ties toward a forward-looking partnership based on innovation and industrial collaboration, particularly in areas like drones, uncrewed vessels, advanced aircraft, and artificial intelligence.

He noted the evolving nature of warfare, citing the conflict in Ukraine as an example of how rapid innovation and large-scale production confer military advantage. Streeting emphasised that the 21st century alliance between Britain and the US should be defined by scientific and industrial cooperation alongside traditional military ties.

Supporting this approach, Rupert Pearce, the Ministry of Defence’s national armaments director, mentioned efforts to streamline procurement timelines, aiming to reduce the acquisition period for major platforms from six years to two, and smaller off-the-shelf projects to three months. Pearce acknowledged a tendency within the MoD to "overproduce" and "design for the exquisite," suggesting a shift toward accepting weapons systems that are sufficiently effective rather than perfect.

Streeting’s visit to the United States will include a meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, amid ongoing criticisms of Hegseth’s policies, including his planned livestream of a military execution and US diesel imports from Russia, which have caused frustration among European allies. The discussions are anticipated to further shape the future of UK-US defence collaboration in a changing global security environment.