UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stated on October 15, 2026, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. that rapid deployment of AI, drones, and autonomous technology is fundamentally transforming modern warfare.
Accelerating Procurement and Innovation
Streeting stated that military power is no longer measured solely by the size of expensive platforms, but by how fast nations can innovate, produce at scale, and deploy cheap technology. He noted that adversaries are combining industrial scale with rapid advances in autonomy, AI, drones, cyber, and electronic warfare.
To adapt to this environment, the UK government has set targets to cut the time from concept to contract for new platforms from six years to two, adapting existing ones from three years to one, and reducing all other timelines to under three months.
AI and Battlefield Technology in Ukraine
Streeting highlighted Ukraine's breakthrough military AI platform, Avengers Lab, which converts frontline combat data into hyper-accurate algorithms to improve situational awareness and target identification. He stated that the UK now has access to this data, enabling universities, researchers, and tech firms to co-develop battle-winning AI capabilities.
He also cited the rapid development of the RAVEN ground-launched missile system, which was designed, developed, and delivered in four months for a total cost of less than $25 million for the first eight systems.
Key facts and where they come from
- The UK set a target to reduce the time from concept to contract for new platforms from six years to two years.
In the UK, we have set ourselves a target to cut the time from concept to contract for new platforms from six years to two
- Avengers Lab is identified as Ukraine's breakthrough military AI platform that converts combat data into algorithms.
Avengers Lab, Ukraine’s breakthrough military AI platform, is doing just that. It takes combat data from the frontline and converts it to hyper-accurate algorithms
- The RAVEN ground-launched missile system was designed, developed, and delivered in four months.
the RAVEN ground-launched missile system was designed, developed and delivered in four months.
