Britain’s Conservative Party has announced plans for a £10 billion national missile and drone defence system, putting national security at the centre of its political agenda as the party seeks to reshape its defense policy.

The proposed system, named “Britannia Shield,” would create a network of advanced radar, command and control systems, interceptor missiles and counter-drone capabilities designed to protect the United Kingdom, its sovereign territories and British military bases overseas.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the programme would represent a major expansion of Britain’s air-defence capabilities. The party says it would seek to make an initial deployable capability available within five years, with further investment and expanded missile stockpiles following over the next five years.

The Conservatives say the programme would be funded through their commitment to increase defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product by 2030. The party has linked its wider defence plans to changes in welfare spending, including reforms to benefits.

The announcement comes as governments across Europe reassess air and missile defence following Russia’s war in Ukraine and the growing use of drones and missiles in conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. The Conservatives argue that Britain needs greater protection against threats to cities, military installations and critical infrastructure.

Labour has challenged the Conservative proposal, arguing that the opposition party cannot be trusted on defence and questioning how its spending commitments would be funded. The government has already committed hundreds of millions of pounds to integrated air and missile defence, although the scale of the Conservative proposal would be considerably larger.

The proposal is being unveiled during the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where defence, taxation and economic policy are major themes. It comes as the latest YouGov poll shows Labour on 27%, Reform UK on 22% and the Conservatives on 20%, though voting-intention polls provide only a snapshot of public opinion and do not predict future election results.

The defence announcement is likely to intensify the political debate over how Britain should respond to a changing security environment and how much taxpayers should spend on national defence. For the Conservatives, “Britannia Shield” represents a significant attempt to put defence and security at the centre of their political offer ahead of the next general election.