London: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lay out the biggest programme of investment in British defence since the end of the Cold War in Parliament on Thursday, pumping in an extra 4 billion pounds a year over the next four years.
The mega investment plan will fund space and cyber defence projects and is expected to create thousands of new jobs, Downing Street said.
A new agency dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, the creation of a National Cyber Force and a new "Space Command", capable of launching the first rocket in 2022, are among the areas for the investment focus.
"I Have Taken This Decision In The Teeth Of The Pandemic Because The Defence Of The Realm Must Come First," said Johnson.
"The international situation is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War and Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies. To achieve this, we need to upgrade our capabilities across the board," he said.
"This is our chance to end the era of retreat, transform our armed forces, bolster our global influence, unite and level up our country, pioneer new technology and defend our people and way of life," he added.