Gone are the days when Europe could decide whether to engage in a distant conflict. The old continent must prepare for war right on its doorstep. This was the warning issued by top British military officials on Thursday as they unveiled the new Military Intelligence Service (MIS).
British Minister Al Carnes was direct in his statements. According to him, “the shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door” and NATO allies must be ready to react immediately.
Carns pointed out that the rules of the game have completely changed when it comes to security. According to him, Europe is no longer facing conflicts that it would enter into voluntarily, but is facing “wars of necessity”.
These conflicts will bring with them a high price, including human losses. He cited the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine as an example. It informs about it
The head of NATO agrees with his words
His words were also supported by the head of NATO Mark Rutte, who in Berlin made a sentence that resonates throughout the security community: “Russia has brought the war back to Europe and we must be prepared for the scale of the war that our grandparents and great-grandparents had to endure.” He added that “Russia is already escalating its covert campaign against our companies.”
A few days ago in Germany, Rutte also delivered one of the most serious warnings in recent times. According to him, Russia is already escalating its hostile activities and the risk of a direct clash with the Alliance is increasing, he writes about it
His words are not unique – similar conclusions about Russian intentions have been presented by Western intelligence services for a long time. Moscow has repeatedly called these reports “hysteria”.
New Military Intelligence Service
The head of Britain’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Adrian Bird, has revealed that hostile intelligence activity against British military personnel and assets has increased by more than 50 per cent in the past year. According to him, the main actors of these attacks are Russia, China and Iran.
The response to these threats is the creation of a new Military Intelligence Service (MIS). It will be based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, which is already home to “Pathfinder” – the largest intelligence center of the Five Eyes alliance in the world.
The goal of MIS is to unify Navy, Army, and Air Force intelligence units to speed up information sharing. It will also include a new counterintelligence unit to protect the armed forces from foreign interference. Analysts will monitor everything from satellite imagery and drone footage to information from agents in the field.
How to explain it to people?
Al Carns also emphasized that politicians need to explain the context to the public. People need to understand that threats from abroad are not just an abstract concept.
“We need to ensure that the population recognizes that these threats overseas have a direct impact on their way of life, the cost of living, food prices, fuel prices and government spending as a whole,” the minister added.
Despite the ambitious plans, the British also admit problems. Veterans Affairs Minister Louise Sandher-Jones confirmed that recruitment to military intelligence in recent years has not gone as expected and the military is facing a shortage of qualified people.
