Defence Secretary John Healey Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street

Britain is to spend more than £1 billion on artificial intelligence and specialist hackers.

The armed forces are to target hostile states like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “The keyboard has become a weapon of war.

“We are under daily attack, increasing attacks.”

A new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will conduct the operation.

Mr Healey said the unit, which will be included in the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), would set “new standards” in defence.

He added: “Cyber Command is part of removing duplication, setting new standards, giving new authority behind defensive and offensive cyber.”

His comments confirm Britain is willing to carry out offensive hacks as well as be defensive.

Mr Healey said: “This is the nerve centre of the UK’s military that helps us defend against these attacks.

“The keyboard has become a weapon of war.

“The SDR had recognised that the war in Ukraine proved those that prevail will be those who are not just better equipped and better trained but better connected and also capable of innovating ahead of adversaries”.

“That’s what our new cyber command will allow us to do.”

In the last two years, the MoD has been subjected to 90,000 cyber-attacks – double the number in 2023 – from hostile states.

Mr Healey said: “This is a level of cyber warfare that is continual and intensifying that requires us to step up our capacity to defend.”

“You might have seen the talk, now you’ll see the walk.

“Ways of warfare are rapidly changing, with the UK facing daily cyber-attacks on this new front line.

“The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine leave us under no illusions that future conflicts will be won through forces that are better connected, better equipped and innovating faster than their adversaries.

“We will give our Armed Forces the ability to act at speeds never seen before – connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster.

“By attracting the best digital talent, and establishing a nerve centre for our cyber capability, we will harness the latest innovations, properly fund Britain’s defences for the modern age and support the Government’s Plan for Change.”