British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he will carry out a five-year counter-terrorism defense plan. During a visit to Paris on Monday, Cameron met with French President Francois Hollande, pushing for more cooperation between the European Union. Their goal: to eliminate ISIS.
"The United Kingdom will do all in our power to support our friend and ally, France, to defeat this evil death cult," Cameron stated, according to the Daily Times.
Cameron wants the military budget increased to around $18 billion, citing military advancements as "vital at a time when the threats to our country are growing."
Presently, British raids against ISIS are limited to Iraq, due to a 2013 vote from Parliament. Cameron would see airstrikes extended to ISIS-occupied Syria, according to The New York Times.
Under Cameron's plan, army chiefs will form two strike brigades by 2025. The military restructuring will also see new Typhoon combat jets, submarine hunting planes and new drone models.
Now, Cameron must do his best to convince Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to relinquish his fears over expanding British strikes into Syria.
"As the murders in Paris reminded us so starkly, ISIL is not some remote problem thousands of miles away; it is a direct threat to our security. So I want the British people to know they have a government that understands national security and that we will take whatever actions are necessary to keep our country safe," Cameron wrote in an article for the Telegraph.
The urgency to increase military spending comes not only from the threats posed by Islamic terrorism but Russian aggressions as well.
Britain has called upon allies to aid it in tracking Russian submarines that have entered their territory in the past, as the Telegraph notes.
