The UK defence sector stands at a pivotal moment. Investment is rising, demand for sovereign capability is growing, and technological transformation is accelerating. However, despite this momentum, one challenge overshadows all others: we simply don’t have enough engineers with the right skills to deliver against the UK’s defence ambitions.

This mounting pressure is not speculative; industry bodies, defence leaders and Government reviews consistently reference the deepening shortage across engineering, digital, cyber and advanced manufacturing roles. The latest Strategic Defence Review highlights a worsening workforce crisis, with Regular Armed Forces numbers down by 8% since 2022, and technical shortages now affecting military, civil service and industrial roles across the board.

For a sector that relies on long-term capability and specialist expertise, the skills gap is no longer a future risk, it is a present and systemic constraint that requires urgent action.

A historical issue with long-standing impacts

This dearth of talent has been growing for some time. In fact, it can arguably be traced back to post‑Cold War restructuring, outsourcing and the closure and consolidation of defence training institutions. Since this time, the sector has faced growing complexities linked to recruitment which have only hampered hiring and dissuaded some from continuing with their recruitment journey.

It’s no secret that security vetting remains a significant bottleneck for candidates who may otherwise be ready to step into roles quickly. Industry leaders emphasise that these delays are stretching hiring timelines and costing employers potentially ideal candidates in a fastmoving tech labour market.

Added to this is the growing competition for the critical engineering skills needed in the industry. Defence engineering talent is increasingly being drawn away by high-tech employers offering better pay, flexible work and civilian projects that feel more culturally aligned with Gen Z and younger engineers. Competition now includes not just aerospace and engineering brands, but also logistics hubs, robotics firms, and large-scale technology employers.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the engineering talent shortages in defence, and they will only continue to intensify as skills requirements evolve.

Digital is now a core defence capability

Historically, defence engineering roles were dominated by mechanical and aerospace specialisms. Today, however, the sector is being reshaped by AI, cyber security, robotics, quantum technologies, advanced materials, and autonomy.

As we can see in the Strategic Defence Review, the biggest defence gap is not hardware, it’s STEM talent capable of understanding and deploying breakthrough technologies. The industry is shifting from platform-centric to software-defined systems, creating demand for systems engineers, AI and machine learning specialists and cyber security engineers to name just a few.

Tech-enabled warfare, from drone swarming to AI‑driven intelligence, is also accelerating the need for multidisciplinary engineers with both digital depth and domain understanding. These changing talent trends will only grow in the months and years ahead.

So, how can we tackle the engineering skills shortages in defence?

Modernise employer value propositions

While the results may not be felt until the longer-term, one immediate actionis to encourage more people in emerging generations to not only choose a career in engineering, but also work in defence. Younger engineers are driven by purpose, flexibility, sustainability, and ethical alignment. It’s widely recognised that Gen Z wants employers that are green, ethical, and purposeful, creating an uphill battle for a sector that is often misunderstood in terms of its societal contribution. Defence organisations must reframe their narrative, highlighting cyber defence, public safety, resilience engineering, and humanitarian applications as central to modern defence careers.

Accelerate apprenticeships & reskilling

In a similar vein, the sector must also treat early-career recruitment with the urgency of an industrial mobilisation effort. This includes heavier employer investment in training, cross‑industry training partnerships and fast‑track conversion programmes for adjacent industries. Without growing entry-level engineering talent, the pipeline will continue to shrink.

A ‘whole-force’ skills ecosystem

The Strategic Defence Review calls for a fully integrated workforce model across the military, civil service, reservists, industry and non-traditional workers. This ‘whole-force’ approach will be essential to enabling shared talent, rapid capability development, and the building of cross-sector career pathways. It will also, on paper at least, help to remove silos between the Government and industry.

Rebuild domestic training

Revitalising engineering training is essential to reverse decades of capability loss. The modern threat landscape requires a sustained national commitment to technical colleges and defence-specific engineering apprenticeships. It’s important that we see collaboration between universities, training institutions and industry representatives, as without this foundation, the UK will struggle to maintain sovereign capability.

The defence skills crisis is solvable, but only with bold, coordinated action

The UK defence sector is on the cusp of profound evolution. The technological leap ahead is clear, and the need for skilled engineers has never been more urgent. Yet the country has the raw potential: a strong graduate base, advanced universities and growing public investment. What is missing is alignment.

To meet national security needs, deliver on major programmes and maintain industrial competitiveness, the UK must modernise defence’s appeal as an employer and build flexible, tech‑aligned career pathways. It also needs to take a serious look at how barriers to entry, including the complex and lengthy security clearance process, can be reformed or revitalised.

At Murray McIntosh, we see firsthand how engineering talent markets respond when employers innovate their people strategy. The defence sector can, and must, do the same. With smarter workforce planning, stronger engagement and a clear commitment to skills, defence can build the engineering capability it needs for the decade ahead.