ANKARA — UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis announced he is finalizing the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) for publication before traveling to the NATO summit in Ankara with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The summit is scheduled for July 7 and 8.

Jarvis, who assumed his role earlier this month, spoke at a military thinktank conference on Tuesday. "I'm now working to finalise and publish the defence investment plan before I travel to Ankara," Jarvis said. He added, "I've had 12 days, but I've made the most of all of them, and I'm now working to finalise and publish the Dip before I travel to Ankara with the prime minister."

The DIP covers the Ministry of Defence's major capital programmes for the next 10 years. Jarvis has secured at least £14 billion as part of ongoing negotiations for the plan. He has also secured approximately £1 billion more for the DIP than his predecessor, John Healey. Healey, who resigned earlier this month, failed to secure more than £13.5 billion to address an £18 billion funding gap for the plan.

Jarvis acknowledged during his remarks that "no single defence review or funding settlement ... can erase the legacy of accumulated neglect" from previous governments. He also indicated that he would not finalize the deal "at any cost." Starmer had previously committed to increasing the defence budget by £2 billion, aiming for 2.68% of GDP by 2030, while NATO has a long-term goal for allies to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with Jarvis and Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, regarding the plan. Reeves stated, "I am confident that the new Dip will be published before the Nato Ankara summit." She added that it "will involve more money spent more effectively and will meet the scale of challenges facing our country." The DIP has been the subject of over six months of government negotiations.