UK Defence Secretary John Healey has publicly backed his boss, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, amid a widespread rebellion by Labour MPs. The post UK Defence Secretary throws support behind Starmer appeared first on Naval Technology.
The UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, is seen as a strong supporter of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The UK Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, has thrown his support behind embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is fighting for his political future after a rebellion by Labour MPs threatens to derail the UK Government less than two years after coming to power.
In a social media post on 12 May, Healey said the UK population was “worried” about current conflicts and looming global crises, and “expected” the UK Government to lead the country through this period.
“More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic and security challenges,” Healey posted.
Healey will host a meeting of 40 defence ministers on 12 May aimed at firming up support for a pan-European maritime security mission to the Strait of Hormuz, intended to open up trade that has been brought to a halt during the ongoing US-Iran war.
People are worried about current conflicts and looming global crises. They expect their government to lead the country through, as the PM is doing.
More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic & security challenges.
Other key defence ministers in parliament include the Minister for Defence Readiness, Luke Pollard, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Al Carns, and Louise Sandher-Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, none of whom have made any comment regarding the current status of the UK Prime Minister.
Al Carns had previously said in February, during another period of crisis for Keir Starmer, that the Prime Minister had “my support – and my loyalty”.
His only post on his X account on 12 May was of a clear blue sky.
In addition, Lord Vernon Coaker, Minister of State at Ministry of Defence, has also made no public comment.
Luke Pollard recently made headlines for saying that he was “sick and tired” of journalists writing negative articles about the UK’s ongoing defence troubles.
The UK previously maintained a naval presence in the Middle East region comprising a frigate and a number of specialised minehunting vessels, but this was withdrawn during the current Labour government.
It is expected that the UK will commit to sending a Type 45 destroyer to the Middle East, with official comments expected today (12 May).
However, it is also unlikely the UK will be able to send additional major surface combatants, with the Royal Navy down to just five functioning frigates.
The UK also axed its minehunting fleet and is now converting the amphibious landing dock ship RFA Lyme Bay to act as a mothership for untested autonomous minesweeping platforms.
The U.S. Army has selected Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Rogue 1 loitering munition for its Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO ) program, giving Infantry Brigade Combat Teams a man-portable precision strike weapon capable of destroying tanks and armored vehicles at ranges exceeding 12
Despite being thousands of miles from the war in Ukraine, Russia’s strategic submarine base at Rybachiy in the Pacific is now showing signs of heightened defenses. New satellite imagery reveals anti-drone protections around nuclear submarines, suggesting Russian commanders fear that Ukrainian surpri
MatrixSpace is providing airspace awareness sensors to Operation Flytrap 5.0, a major U.S. Army-led counter-drone exercise running May 1 through 15 in Lithuania, after the company’s technology won the xTechCounter Strike competition at the preceding Flytrap 4.5 exercise in November 2025. The c
German electronic warfare technology company Aaronia AG will make its first public presentation of the AARTOS DF2 direction-finding solution at AOC Europe in Helsinki from May 19 to 21, 2026. The AOC Europe conference, organized by the Association of Old Crows and described as the leading European e