#nato-spending

#nato-spending

Global X built SHLD as a pure-play bet on the global rearmament cycle, not just the Pentagon contractor club. The fund holds 51 positions spread roughly half between US primes and half across allied manufacturers in Europe, Israel, South Korea, and Australia. The return engine is straightforward equity exposure to companies whose order books grow when governments buy weapons, ammunition, sensors, and increasingly drones and AI-enabled battlefield software.

PA Media Army chief Sir Richard Knighton has said the UK is "not as ready as we need to be for the kind of full-scale conflict we might face", as he avoided questions about a reported shortfall in the government's defence spending plans. Last week, The Times and The Sun reported that the Ministry of Defence believes it will need an additional 28bn to meet its costs over the next four years, prompting a rewrite of the government's defence investment plan. The plan was due in the autumn of last year but has been delayed. Speaking to the parliamentary Defence Committee, Sir Richard said he could not provide a date for publication but added that the department was "working flat out" on it.