2026 has begun with a series of shocks — many unexpected, all reinforcing the sense that we continue to live in volatile and dangerous times. Where once much of our analytical effort focused on adversaries, today increasing attention is directed towards the intent and future actions of our allies. While recent strategic developments have continued to surprise, certain enduring truths remain — chief among them is NATO’s role as the cornerstone of our collective defence and security.

In the UK, this reality is reflected in the government’s ‘NATO First’ policy. This is the primary organising principle that drives change in the national approach to NATO. Yet events in Ukraine, combined with strategic shifts in Washington, mean that NATO stands at a critical juncture. Once again, its credibility and relevance are being tested. Our overriding priority must therefore be to secure the continued commitment of all Allies to the ultimate security guarantee enshrined in Article V of the NATO Treaty. This guarantee underpins a credible deterrent posture today and into the future.

The experience of Ukraine also demonstrates that deterrence credibility rests on four essential pillars: political will; military capability; societal resilience; and industrial readiness. Each presents its own challenges. The adoption of the ‘NATO First’ approach, reflects both political will and ambition, but the intent articulated in the Strategic Defence Review risks being undermined by the extended debates surrounding the Defence Investment Plan. Additionally, both the societal and industrial contribution to national and NATO deterrence.

As John Healey commented in the Defence Industrial Strategy, ‘The Armed Forces are only as the strong as the industry that stands behind them’. We are therefore fortunate to have a strong defence industrial base that contributes towards the security and the prosperity of the UK. However, we need to drive a paradigm shift in the government–military–industrial relationship to enhance this and to deliver the commitment made by the UK and NATO allies at Vilnius in 2023. In short, we need to move from a predominantly transactional model towards one rooted in genuine partnership.

The Defence Production Action Plan (DPAP) provides the roadmap for this transformation. Far more strategic and comprehensive than its title suggests, DPAP addresses production capacity, collaboration, supply-chain resilience, standardisation, and interoperability. Agreed at Vilnius in 2023, expanded in Washington DC in 2024, and made public at The Hague Summit in 2025, DPAP now demands tangible delivery in 2026. Achieving this will require the combined effort of the entire NATO defence community, fully exploiting NATO’s role as convener, standards-setter and requirements aggregator with delivery enabled by rapid adoption mechanisms.

From an industrial perspective, the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) must continue to act as both the voice and conscience of industry, particularly through its role on NATO’s Defence Industrial Production Board. This must be done openly, constructively, and collaboratively.

NIAG operates under the Conference of National Armaments Directors. The creation of an empowered National Armaments Director Group in the UK presents a clear opportunity for the UK to provide strong leadership on NATO industrial matters. Realising that opportunity requires the UK element of NIAG to be fully fit for purpose; the conditions to ensure this are well set as we enter 2026.

Enabled by ADS and supported by other trade associations, the UK NIAG brings together a diverse group of industrial leaders — large and small, established and emerging — spanning all warfighting domains. In June 2026, the UK will host the NIAG Plenary for the first time this century. This landmark event will provide UK industry with the opportunity to showcase innovation and expertise, demonstrate its critical contribution to DPAP and the Rapid Adoption Action Plan (RAAP), and reinforce the imperative to drive forward the ‘NATO First’ agenda.

While the festive break is now a distant memory, the UK NIAG’s New Year resolutions are not. In 2026, supported by the UK Industry NATO Forum, we resolve to:

  • Drive delivery of DPAP
  • Support the development and execution of RAAP
  • Collaborate effectively and demonstrate capabilities across industry and with UK government and military partners

The UK-hosted NIAG Plenary in June provides the focal point around which we can galvanise our collective efforts in the first half of 2026. Your support, wherever you sit within the defence community, is both welcomed and essential.