Nato summit: £3.5bn armoured vehicle deal to be signed – WBNews

The Ministry of Defence is set to sign a £3.5bn deal for nearly 600 new armoured vehicles ahead of the Nato summit in Wales. The MoD will sign the order for 589 Scout Specialist Vehicles at General Dynamics in Caerphilly county. David Cameron said the deal would aid UK security and “underpin” many jobs. At the two-day summit in Newport, due to start on Thursday, the UK will call for increased defence spending by some of Nato’s 28 member states. Mr Cameron said the Scout deal would be the Army’s largest single order for armoured vehicles for more than 30 years. “These new vehicles are testament to the world-class engineering skills in south Wales and across the UK, helping to create the Army’s first fully digitalised armoured vehicles,” he said. “Not only will they be crucial in helping to keep Britain safe, they will also underpin nearly 1,300 jobs across the UK and showcase the strength of the UK’s highly skilled defence sector.” Mr Cameron said the UK had the second largest-defence budget in the alliance – “meeting Nato’s 2% of GDP spending target” – and was providing “leadership” within the organisation. ‘Threats on doorstep’ In a speech later at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is expected to call on Nato countries to increase military spending. “Not only is there a real risk of equipment obsolescence amongst Nato’s European allies, but investment underpins our vital transatlantic bond,” he will say. “Nato was…more detail