Sovereignty should be measured by capability, not ownership
Image credit: Ministry of Defence
Illy Andrews, Vice President – Defence International
| Amentum
What matters are the industrial capacities, skills, supply chains and trusted partnerships that give Britain the freedom to act independently
The UK Strategic Defence Review stressed the need to maintain sovereign capability, citing nuclear warheads, munitions factories and submarine production as critical areas. The focus on sovereign capability for national prosperity is essential, but manufacturing is only part of the national prosperity and resilience needed to deter the threats we face.
The Good Growth Foundation recently made an important contribution to this debate, arguing that defence investment must strengthen British businesses, support SMEs and deliver visible benefits for communities across the UK. But the reality of sovereignty is more complex than where a company is headquartered. The question is whether Britain retains the skills, industrial capacity, supply chain resilience and operational freedom required to act independently. That means buying British where it delivers the best capability, value and resilience. It also means working with trusted allies, at government and industry level, to access the best technology and innovation available.
Amentum’s UK scientists, technicians, programme managers and engineers are an essential part of the knowledge and skills base that underpins the defence enterprise, working at our offices and laboratories or on client sites critical to the UK’s nuclear deterrent. Our heritage in the UK defence sector stretches back more than 70 years, including involvement in every British nuclear submarine that has gone to sea and a key role in supporting procurement of facilities and equipment essential to the UK’s sovereign capability in all domains. To sustain our skilled workforce, we invest heavily in training graduates and apprentices. Our links with academia keep us at the forefront of technology.
Ukraine has shown that an adaptive, ingenious, homegrowndefence industry is critical to repelling an aggressor. The Strait of Hormuz has shown how conflict can disrupt long-distance supply chains. Sovereignty therefore depends not only on what Britain can build, but also on whether it can sustain, move and adapt capability under pressure.
That is why Amentum has formed the Torus Defence Supply Chain alliance with Accenture, GXO and Maersk: bringing together logistics scale, military expertise and defence-grade digital insights to strengthen supply chain resilience and sovereign operational capability.
In today’s interconnected world, sovereignty requires making the most of collaboration with allies. Amentum’s work on the UK’s hypersonics programme is reliant on two-way transfer of technology and intellectual property, requiring advanced systems engineering, propulsion integration, modelling and simulation, test design and operational understanding. It combines a UK delivery base with access to allied experience, reducing risk while keeping the programme focused on British sovereign requirements.
The UK participates in more US-led, military-related technology projects than any other country, while also seeking to do more with Nato allies. That should not be viewed as a compromise of sovereignty, it is one of its enablers.
As government develops its Defence Investment Plan, industry will look for a framework that aligns security with growth. With 6,000 people in the UK and a commitment to create 3,000 new highly skilled jobs by 2030, Amentum sees how defence investment can strengthen readiness while creating opportunity across the country.
Ultimately, sovereignty should be measured not simply by what is built in Britain, but by whether Britain has the skills, industrial capacity, resilient supply chains and trusted partnerships necessary to act independently when required. If we get that balance right, defence investment can strengthen our national security and prosperity while ensuring that we can overcome emerging challenges in a radically changing world.
Meet the Amentum team at Farnborough International Airshow 2026 from 20th – 24th July, Hall 3, Stand 3931.
