Wes Streeting praises UK–US alliance after RAF Fairford incident

Wes Streeting told Labour’s conference on Monday that Britain and the United States would stand together after events around RAF Fairford prompted a police investigation. The defence secretary gave no further detail about the incident, but used his address to set out his case for alliance solidarity, support for Ukraine and higher defence spending. His remarks did not announce a new UK–US agreement.

Fairford and the alliance

Opening his speech in Liverpool, Streeting said the previous day’s events around RAF Fairford were subject to a live police investigation. He said that meant he could not add much to what had already been reported. He then described the UK’s friendship with America as “the closest alliance of any two nations on Earth” and said the countries would stand together against those who wished them harm.

Streeting thanked the security services, armed forces and police for their work. He said the response around Fairford offered a glimpse of work they carry out every day, often without public recognition. The speech did not establish what happened near the airfield or the outcome of the investigation; Streeting explicitly limited his comments while it remained live.

UK Defence Journal reported that Gloucestershire Constabulary had declared a major incident on Sunday after several men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. The report said properties in nearby Whelford were evacuated and quoted the force as saying it believed the incident was contained. Those reported police actions provide context for Streeting’s opening remarks, but do not establish what any suspect intended or whether an offence was committed.

What Streeting said about defence

The defence secretary also argued for more military spending. He cited a commitment to spend 3.5% of gross domestic product on core defence by 2035. That is a target he described in his speech, not a measure of spending already achieved. He said warfare was changing through drones, data and digital networks, and presented investment as a response to that shift.

Among the figures Streeting cited were £500 million for the UK Commando Force, more than £1 billion to upgrade Typhoon aircraft, over £8 billion for a sixth-generation fighter project with international partners, and £1.3 billion for autonomous Royal Navy vessels. These were spending plans as presented by Streeting; the speech did not show that the equipment had been delivered.

Streeting acknowledged that higher defence spending involves choices and trade-offs. He challenged critics on the Labour left who oppose further military investment, arguing that protecting public services and funding national defence depend on each other. LondonlovesBusiness separately reported that he paired his defence of the US alliance with appeals for support for Ukraine and greater defence investment.

Existing cooperation

The UK and US already have formal defence ties beyond the language of Monday’s speech. A Ministry of Defence annual update says the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement underpin nuclear cooperation. The update says the Mutual Defence Agreement was extended indefinitely in 2024. It also says Britain’s Trident missiles are designed and manufactured in the US and maintained at Kings Bay, Georgia, before being fitted with UK-manufactured warheads in Scotland.

The government published an amendment to the UK–US Mutual Defence Agreement on 24 September and said it had been presented to Parliament that month. The available record establishes the amendment’s publication, but does not explain its substantive changes. Streeting did not present that document as a new agreement in the Fairford passage of his conference speech.

Britain and the US also work with Australia through AUKUS. In a joint statement in May, the three countries’ defence ministers reaffirmed that partnership and said its submarine programme remained on track. They announced an undersea-vehicle technology project with delivery scheduled to begin in 2027. The statement said arrangements for Submarine Rotational Force–West were being finalised for establishment in 2027, with the UK reaffirming a rotational presence.