Prime Minister David Cameron will also discuss with Defence Security Chiefs means of boosting the defence budget and capability to counter the ISIL threat after 30 British had been killed almost three weeks ago in Sousse, in Tunisia.
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The FT says the prime minister is keen to focus on new measures to protect the country from evolving threats like extremism, cyber warfare and the dangers posed by increasing aggression from Russian Federation.
Political correspondent Robin Brant reports.
This statement follows Cameron’s budget release, which commits two percent of GDP toward the Ministry of Defense.
The Prime Minister visited both RAF Coningsby on Monday, July 13 and RAF Waddington – home to the UK’s ISTAR force from where Reaper missions are flown over Iraq and Syria.
Cameron said: “It’s about making sure we are safe in a very unstable and risky world, and because we have a strong economy we are able to make the commitment to spending more over and above inflation on defence, as much potentially as £6bn more between now and 2020”.
It added that Britain’s response needed to be more agile and adaptable, and highlighted the importance of cooperation with partners, including USA, to ensure that British naval vessels can project drones and deploy special forces. “In the last five years, I have seen just how vital these assets are in keeping us safe”, he added, according to the NYT.
Mr Cameron has invited acting Labour leader Harriet Harman to a high-level security meeting on Tuesday about the threat posed by IS.
Earlier in the month, United Kingdom Defense Secretary Michael Fallon called on lawmakers to consider allowing airstrikes in Syria, one year after Britain initially declined to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in the Middle Eastern country.
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The visit will underline his determination to show that, although Britain is not yet involved in the air strikes under way in Syria due to the Commons vote to reject British involvement in 2013, the RAF is still active over the skies of Syria, providing air-to-air refuelling and surveillance assistance, it noted.
