What the UK SDR means for sovereign supply chains

Just-in-time isn't enough

The UK’s latest Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is clear: Britain must move to warfighting readiness. That demands ‘always-on’ production, greater self-sufficiency, and a more resilient supply base. 

Just-in-time manufacturing, receiving goods as and when needed, is unlikely to keep pace with ‘always on’ readiness expectations - or guarantee continuity when pressure hits. 

Procurement leaders now need to build inventory while balancing two essentials: supplier capability and capacity. 

The risk of imbalance

It’s not just about what a supplier can do - it’s about whether they can deliver consistently, to spec and at speed. 

Defence buyers must navigate: 

• Capacity bottlenecks, scaling takes time. 
• Single points of failure for niche capabilities. 
• Speed-to-capability vs not taking compliance shortcuts.

Without a balanced, robust supplier network, procurement slows, targets slip, and readiness is at risk. 

3-steps to balance supplier capability and capacity

1. See who’s out there

Use live, validated primary data to discover suppliers beyond your approved list - especially for niche capabilities or regional presence. 

2. Check who’s ready

Go beyond the spec sheet. Assess capabilities, conflict and tariff exposure, financial stability, and compliance - all in one place.

3. Build depth, not duplication

Diversify with purpose and avoid overwhelming suppliers with duplicate compliance requests.

A community built for moments
like this  

JOSCAR brings together nearly 30 major UK Defence buyers through a shared platform and standardised supplier assurance. 

With JOSCAR you can: 

• Source from 5,500+ validated supplier.
• Trust they’re willing to do business in Defence. 
• Streamline onboarding and reduce supplier fatigue. 

Just-in-time models weren’t built for today’s Defence environment. JOSCAR gives you supply options. Build a supply chain that’s resilient by design - not by chance. 

With 650+ taxonomy codes and 800+ filters, JOSCAR helps you search by provider type, capability, location, accreditations, conflict and tariff exposure and more. Then you can connect with the right contact.