The Minister for the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Alistair Carns
The United Kingdom is “rapidly developing” plans to prepare the entire country for a possible outbreak of war, the country’s Armed Forces Minister said.
The British Minister for the Armed Forces, Alistair Carneswarned this Friday of the “shadow of war” on Europe’s doorstep, at a time when hostile intelligence activity against the United Kingdom has increased by more than 50% in the last year.
Al Carns highlighted the role of civilians in a large-scale conflict, highlighting that it is the armies, navies and air forces that respond to crises, but “it is the societies, the industries and economies what win wars.”
“Now the shadow of war is, once again, knocking on Europe’s door. This is the reality. We have to be prepared to dissuade it”, declared Carns, quoted by .
Carns’ statements come after Mark RutteSecretary General of NATO, told allies on Thursday that Europe must prepare for a possible confrontation with Russia on a scale similar to that which “our grandparents and great-grandparents endured”, a reference to I and II World Wars.
In November, also the general Fabien Mandonnew chief of the French General Staff, warned that “” a war with Russia.
Al Carns says that many people in the UK they don’t see, they don’t hear nor do they feel the dangers, despite Russia’s war in Ukraine continuingwith an impact, for example, on the cost of fuel, and considered it essential to communicate to the public the change in the reality of the security situation.
“We have to make it clearto ensure people understand — not to scare them, but to be realistic and understand where these threats come from and why defense and a whole-of-society approach are so important,” he said.
The United Kingdom revealed, on Friday, that the hostile activity level information services, such as espionage, cyberattacks and physical threatsagainst its Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense increased by more than 50% in the last year. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are named as the main suspects of these hostile activities.
The British Government will launch a new counterintelligence unit in the area of defense, to reinforce the ability to detect and stop espionage operations by hostile states.
At the same time, it advanced to improve espionage capabilities of the Ministry of Defense, by integrating the various military intelligence branches of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as Defense Intelligence, into a new organization called Military Intelligence Services (MIS).
The initials “MI” are the same as MI5 and MI6the British internal and external intelligence agencies.
Carns, former special forces colonel, visited RAF Wytona top-secret military spy base in Cambridgeshire, accompanied by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Louise Sandher-Jonesand by a group of journalists, to announce the organizational changes.
But improve the readiness of the armed forces professionals is just one part of any country’s preparation for potential conflict.
“It’s not just about designing the armed forces, but actually protecting every inch of our own territory. That work is ongoing now, it is evolving quickly. We have to move as quickly as possible to ensure that this is consolidated”, highlighted Carns.
The United Kingdom had a comprehensive plan for peace transition for war. Developed over decades, the Government War Book it contained instructions for all sectors of society, from the Army and police to schools, hospitals and even art galleries.
However, this vast preparation device, expensive to maintain, was quietly abandoned after the end of the Cold War. Carns’ statements suggest that a modern version of this doctrine could return, says Sky News.
In May, the revealed that Britain is secretly aa, due to fears that the country is not ready for war. The plan includes scenarios in which the country is hit by conventional missiles, nuclear warheads or cyber operations.
The British Government fears that Great Britain will not only would be surpassed by Russia and its allies on the battlefield, as well as being poorly prepared and poorly defended internally.
According to the British newspaper, Kremlin officials have repeatedly threatened the United Kingdom with a direct attack due to its support for Ukraine, which could soon include British troops on the ground.
