UK to Continue Developing Capabilities of Intelligence Agencies, Deploy More Personnel Abroad

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom will continue to develop the capabilities of its intelligence agencies and deploy more personnel abroad to strengthen cooperation with partners, according to the country's updated defense strategy document Integrated Review Refresh 2023.

"Continue developing the capabilities and necessary powers of our intelligence agencies, to support both covert and overt activity. We will base more staff overseas to enhance our cooperation with partners – not just in the Five Eyes – to understand and respond to the challenges posed by the rapidly changing technological and geopolitical environment," the document says.

The UK will also create a new open source intelligence center to improve the government's ability to collect and analyze public and commercially available information, the document says.

UK defense spending this year is expected to reach 2.2% of the country's GDP, which is even higher — 2.29% x0151 including aid to Ukraine, according to the document.