
How global warfare has brought new risks to air travel: Electronic jamming, mid-air collisions and even getting shot down by stray missile are more likely than ever for holiday planes
Footage showed the passenger plane nose diving before slamming into the ground, erupting in a fireball and killing 38 people.
In the days that followed, claims emerged that the plane's navigation systems had been compromised and the plane had been shot down, possibly confused with a Ukrainian projectile by ground artillery in Chechnya.
Local media cited government sources in suggesting jammers had 'paralysed' the plane's communication systems. Russia tried to play down speculation.
A preliminary report later uncovered fragments from a Pantsir-S missile lodged in the plane. The crew had reported losing GPS aids due to jamming.
'No one claims that it was done on purpose,' one Azerbaijani source with knowledge of the report told Reuters. Putin did not say that Russia had shot down the plane, but did ultimately apologise for the 'tragic incident' inside Russian airspace.
Russia's war with Ukraine rages on. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel broke down within hours. Armed conflicts continue across much of Africa, South America and Asia. Pax Americana is over. With this comes new threats to civilians.
Whether Chechen air defences shot down flight J2-8243 is yet to be established. But it is clear that signal jamming poses tangible challenges to safe air travel today.
The skies above Iran appear quiet on commercial flight trackers.
To the north, planes travel between Europe and Asia without interruption. To the south, there are always dozens of flights crossing through Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, carrying businesspeople and tourists to a meeting or a holiday or back to family abroad. Iran is decisively empty.
But its skies are not quiet. While Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspaces were closed this month, Iran's conflict with Israel has seen fighter jets and missiles strike targets across the country, killing hundreds of people. Iran has responded in kind, firing missiles at Israel and devastating communities.
Modern warfare has started to evolve a solution. Israel knocked out swathes of Iran's air defences when it launched its surprise attack on June 13. But jamming technology in the region offers another line of defence by confusing incoming projectiles.
FlightRadar24 data - shown above - shows 'high' GPS jamming interference around the Gulf, around Cyprus and the Sinai, south of the Black Sea, and south of the Caucasus mountain range.
Jamming is 'a relatively uncomplicated technique', explains Cambridge Radio Frequency Systems (CRFS) in a blog, 'that involves producing a Radio Frequency signal strong enough to drown out the transmissions from GPS satellites'.
The affected system is then unable to place itself. GPS-dependent missiles and devices like drones and phones can be disrupted, veering off away from their target.
Relatedly, militaries can use 'spoofing' to tangle signals. While GPS jamming disrupts signals, spoofing confuses receivers about their location: amid Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, an Uber driver in Beirut said his online map suddenly showed that he was in Gaza.
The devices confusing these signals do not discriminate. Civilian aircraft, search and rescue teams, mobile phone services, Air Traffic Control and, indeed, Uber drivers are just as susceptible to jamming and spoofing.
A pilot subjected to GPS jamming would quite quickly realise that they were not receiving data. With spoofing, they could be duped in travelling off course, exposing the plane and passengers to risk of collisions or venturing into hostile airspace.
FlightRadar24 has reported a 'dramatic increase' in such interference in the Middle East since the U.S. struck Israeli nuclear facilities on Sunday.
Commercial ships, too, stand to be affected. Some 900 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have suffered severe disruptions to their GPS systems in recent days as they navigate around the conflict.
'There is usually no jamming in the Strait of Hormuz and now there is a lot,' Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward, told Reuters last week.
'The culmination of all that is higher risk. It's a hot area... if you don't geolocate, there's a bigger chance you'll have an accident.'
Ships are required to indicate their location and are fitted with transmitters similar to GPS called an AIS, or Automatic Identification System, that send regular signals on location, speed and other data. Jamming disrupts these signals.
'The problem these days is that most ships use digitised systems, so if your GPS is jammed, then you have no real form of navigating other than by the seat of your pants,' Jim Scorer, secretary general of International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations, told Reuters.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) reported on Monday that there was increased electronic interference in the region, particularly affecting Global Navigation Satellite Systems and believed to be originating from the Port of Bandar Abbas and in the Central Arabian Gulf.
Flights and ships have to adapt to account for this. There is a clear benefit to travelling through familiar and efficient routes with established protocols. But the risk of having radars jammed, or being shot down, is pushing airlines to seek alternate routes, potentially adding on hours of travel time and using more fuel to circumvent a warzone.
Airlines are aware of the problem. Ryanair said last year that the number of such incidents has risen significantly in recent years. A spokesperson told The Mirror that Ryanair aircraft do have multiple systems in place to identify aircraft location, including GPS.
'If any of the location systems, such as GPS, are not functioning then the crew, as part of standard operating procedures, switch to one of the alternate systems.'
They said that there had been a 'rise' in intermittent GPS interference in recent years, which 'has affected all airlines'.
An article in Military + Aerospace Electronics last summer noted that pilots were being advised to turn off the plane's GPS receiver and use alternative navigation methods in the event of spoofing.
But, it warned, 'the spoofing has been so strong that it can even affect a plane's inertial reference systems, corrupting onboard position calculations and forcing pilots to rely on air traffic control for assistance, potentially overwhelming controllers'.
The Aircraft Performance Group quantified the problem, reporting a 500 per cent increase in spoofing incidents in 2024 alone, which they said coincided with the summer months and increased conflict activities'.
OpsGroup, a global organization focused on international flight operations, polled 2,000 flight crew members and found that nearly 70 per cent assessed their concern about spoofing as being 'very high' or 'extreme'.
At the time, the primary actors they identified carrying out GPD spoofing were military units targeting hostile drones and drone swarms in conflict zones, like Israel, Ukraine and Russia, military units acting on behalf of the state and disrupting shipping, and military units disturbing the flight path of other GPS-guided ammunition, missiles or vehicles.
Crew on commercial fights were concerned about veering off course, not being able to use GPS landing aids, having to fly across the ocean without GPS, and receiving false ground proximity warnings, which could result in a collision.
Map shift, impact on weather radar, false Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System indications and spoofed Runway Awareness and Advisory Systems were among the effects judged as potentially carrying the risk of an accident.
Jamming and spoofing helps warring parties defend against incoming threats at short notice, even when air defences may have been overcome.
While jamming is usually just an inconvenience for aviation, it does pose tangible threats to safe travel, blinding pilots to potentially hostile environments.
As conflicts around the world continue unabated, these technologies present new challenges for airlines to address to ensure the safety of passengers on board.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin's last minute meat-grinder landgrab to seize Donbas mapped – as US bombers jet into Europe ahead of Trump talks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSIAN forces have launched a last-minute ground attack to grab as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the peace talks with Donald Trump. The lightning speed offensive saw Russian troops breaching through defence lines in eastern Ukraine in a dramatic two-pronged attack. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 15 15 Russian soldier raising a flag, reportedly following the capture of Yablunivka in Ukraine on August 12 Credit: Reuters 15 Emergency Services of Ukraine extinguish a blaze in the aftermath of a Russian drone strike on a warehouse storing food products in the Donbas region Credit: Getty 15 US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting in 2017 And it could give Putin an upper hand when he meets the US President for the historic peace summit on Friday. Top diplomats from the US and Russia are currently working on an agreement to finalise post-war territories, senior officials told Bloomberg. But in the last few days, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units pushed some six to 15 miles deep into Ukrainian territory near the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk. The catastrophic breakthrough is set to help Moscow, which currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested Donetsk region. Russian forces surged towards three villages on a section of the frontline near Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The location of the land grab near Dobropillia is of immense strategic importance to both Moscow and Kyiv. If the Russian forces can defend the captured land and establish a secure foothold, they would be able to cut the city of Kramatorsk off from the Donbas region. Kramatorsk is the most important fortress city in Donbas that is still under Kyiv's control. And if it falls, it will hand Putin almost the entirety of the Donbas - a region comprising Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted. Ukraine has publicly denied any breakthrough by Russian forces. Trump & Putin's 1-on-1 meeting is a 'listening exercise', WH says as 'Vlad wants Ukraine to withdraw for ceasefire' Victor Tregubov, a spokesman for the Dnipro group of forces: "A number of small Russian groups are constantly putting pressure on Ukrainian positions and attempting to bypass the first line of defence. "It is important to understand that this does not mean Russian forces have taken control of the territory. It means a small group, five to 10 people, has infiltrated the area. And that looks very different from how it appears on the map." Last night, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal. That's almost 3,500 square miles of land still under Kyiv's control. Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. Ukraine's DeepState authority said: "The situation is quite chaotic, as the enemy, having found gaps in the defence, is infiltrating deeper, trying to quickly consolidate and accumulate forces for further advancement." The latest land grab would most certainly put Moscow in a position to bargain for a better deal - and even ask for more Ukrainian territory. 15 15 Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine build defensive lines in anticipation of a possible advance by Russian forces in Donetsk Region Credit: Getty 15 Ukrainian excavators in the process of digging a second anti-tank ditch north of Pokrovsk Credit: X/Playfra0 Trump said on August 8 that he hopes to hold a meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. It comes as the US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers have been deployed in Europe in a massive show of force. While in the theatre, the bombers along with their crew will conduct exercises with the US allies. One defence force told the UK Defence Journal: "It's about demonstrating that the United States can project heavy bomber capability deep into Europe. "The message is deterrence, making sure Moscow understands that NATO can strike hard and fast if necessary.' Washington and Moscow are said to be eyeing a deal to put an end to the bloody conflict in Ukraine - but it may not be all good news for Kyiv. Trump told reporters in The White House that Zelensky is "going to have to get ready to sign something" in order to bring peace to his nation. Sources said Trump's team is trying to get Ukraine and its European allies on board to get a peace deal that would see Kyiv make some concessions. One major sticking point for Moscow is the annexation of Ukrainian territory - one of Putin's long-term demands. Why is meeting being held in Alaska? Russia expert Colonel Hamish de-Bretton Gordon said there are a few other reasons Putin is likely chuffed with Alaska as the meeting point. He said: "President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security, and his desire not to wander out of friendly airspace. "There's not much of that to Alaska - would only be in international airspace for a few miles." It also means Russian power is making a return to the territory once owned by the Tsardom of Russia. Putin's distant predecessor Tsar Alexander II sold it to America in 1867 for $7.2 million — or two cents per acre. And the Great State of Alaska is also a very long way away from Europe, and all the pesky diplomats who have got under Putin's skin. The choice of location for meetings between rival superpowers carries enormous significance. Many times, the charged encounters have been backdropped by Washington or Moscow - as well as Geneva, Vienna and even a Soviet cruise ship. But Alaskan officials are delighted that their icy land will for the first time host a superpower summit. Its geographical location automatically makes it a logical option, placed as it is directly between the US and the expanse of eastern Russia. You can even see Russian territory while standing on Alaskan soil - if you stand on the island of Little Diomede and look out to Big Diomede. Zelensky has been adamant that Ukraine will not accept any further annexation of its land. Although he suggested Russia could be allowed to retain the land it has taken - which means the current frontlines could be frozen as they are. Trump announced on Friday that the only way to resolve the issues is for both sides to accept losses of land. He said: "It's complicated, actually. Nothing is easy. It's very complicated. "We're going to get some switched. There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both." The MAGA prez said he would try to return territory to Ukraine. Don added: "Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. "We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine." Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were "unchanged". Europe stands together Kyiv risks being presented with a take-it-or-leave-it offer during the high-stakes meeting. Zelensky told European leaders they must reject any settlement proposals by the US that demand Ukraine give up further land. Ukraine's boss today arrived in Berlin to hold urgent talks with his allies - who are all hoping to convince Trump to respect Kyiv's interests in his looming summit with Putin. He is set to meet Merz, who has also invited French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders, as well as the heads of the EU and Nato, to one conference call. 15 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets President Volodymyr Zelensky Credit: Alamy 15 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Chancellery in Berlin Credit: AFP 15 EU leaders together during a summit Credit: PA They are to hold a second call an hour later with Trump and Vice President JD Vance before Merz and Zelensky give press statements. Ahead of the conference call, Zelensky, who spoke with more than 30 international leaders in a few days, said "pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a fair peace". "We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception on the part of Russia. There are currently no signs that the Russians are preparing to end the war," he said in a social media statement. EU leaders stressed on Tuesday "the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny" and that "international borders must not be changed by force". Slave to one's habits Zelensky has warned that Putin has no intention of seeking peace. He claimed Putin would try to fool Trump and continue waging his bloody war against Ukraine. The embattled president said: "[Putin] is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war. "He is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before. 'The Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war." Zelensky said that Putin was redeploying troops and forces "in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations. 'If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.' Ukrainian intelligence indicated that North Korea recently deployed 11,000 soldiers to Russia to facilitate Russia's war effort in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported. 15 A view shows an apartment building hit during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russian strikes Credit: Reuters 15 Rescue teams start working in the area following the Russian forces' combined attack involving on Ukraine Credit: Getty 15 An explosion of a drone is seen over the city during a Russian drone strike on Ukraine Credit: Reuters Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Chief Major General Vadym Skibitskyi revealed yesterday that there are roughly 11,000 North Korean troops training in western Russia. It comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine Igor Novikov, Zelensky's ex-adviser, spoke to The Sun about the Putin and Trump meeting on US soil. He said: "Trump understands that he needs to put enough sanction pressure and military pressure on Russia for them to consider ending this war. "But at the same time, Putin tries to manipulate and charm him, massage his ego into a position where Russia wins time and the US moves further away from helping Ukraine. "Whatever they decide upon. It won't be taken for granted by the Ukrainian people." 15 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Putin's last minute meat-grinder landgrab to seize Donbas mapped – as US bombers jet into Europe ahead of Trump talks
RUSSIAN forces have launched a last-minute ground attack to grab as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the peace talks with Donald Trump. The lightning speed offensive saw Russian troops breaching through defence lines in eastern Ukraine in a dramatic two-pronged attack. 10 10 10 And it could give Putin an upper hand when he meets the US President for the historic peace summit on Friday. Top diplomats from the US and Russia are currently working on an agreement to finalise post-war territories, senior officials told Bloomberg. But in the last few days, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units pushed some six to 15 miles deep into Ukrainian territory near the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk. The catastrophic breakthrough is set to help Moscow, which currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested Donetsk region. Russian forces surged towards three villages on a section of the frontline near Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The location of the land grab near Dobropillia is of immense strategic importance to both Moscow and Kyiv. If the Russian forces can defend the captured land and establish a secure foothold, they would be able to cut the city of Kramatorsk off from the Donbas region. Kramatorsk is the most important fortress city in Donbas that is still under Kyiv's control. And if it falls, it will hand Putin almost the entirety of the Donbas - a region comprising Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted. Ukraine has publicly denied any breakthrough by Russian forces. Trump & Putin's 1-on-1 meeting is a 'listening exercise', WH says as 'Vlad wants Ukraine to withdraw for ceasefire' Victor Tregubov, a spokesman for the Dnipro group of forces: "A number of small Russian groups are constantly putting pressure on Ukrainian positions and attempting to bypass the first line of defence. "It is important to understand that this does not mean Russian forces have taken control of the territory. It means a small group, five to 10 people, has infiltrated the area. And that looks very different from how it appears on the map." Last night, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal. That's almost 3,500 square miles of land still under Kyiv's control. Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. Ukraine's DeepState authority said: "The situation is quite chaotic, as the enemy, having found gaps in the defence, is infiltrating deeper, trying to quickly consolidate and accumulate forces for further advancement." The latest land grab would most certainly put Moscow in a position to bargain for a better deal - and even ask for more Ukrainian territory. 10 10 10 Trump said on August 8 that he hopes to hold a meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. It comes as the US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers have been deployed in Europe in a massive show of force. While in the theatre, the bombers along with their crew will conduct exercises with the US allies. One defence force told the UK Defence Journal: "It's about demonstrating that the United States can project heavy bomber capability deep into Europe. "The message is deterrence, making sure Moscow understands that NATO can strike hard and fast if necessary.' Washington and Moscow are said to be eyeing a deal to put an end to the bloody conflict in Ukraine - but it may not be all good news for Kyiv. Trump told reporters in The White House that Zelensky is "going to have to get ready to sign something" in order to bring peace to his nation. Sources said Trump's team is trying to get Ukraine and its European allies on board to get a peace deal that would see Kyiv make some concessions. One major sticking point for Moscow is the annexation of Ukrainian territory - one of Putin's long-term demands. Why is meeting being held in Alaska? Russia expert Colonel Hamish de-Bretton Gordon said there are a few other reasons Putin is likely chuffed with Alaska as the meeting point. He said: "President Putin is absolutely fixated about his own security, and his desire not to wander out of friendly airspace. "There's not much of that to Alaska - would only be in international airspace for a few miles." It also means Russian power is making a return to the territory once owned by the Tsardom of Russia. Putin's distant predecessor Tsar Alexander II sold it to America in 1867 for $7.2 million — or two cents per acre. And the Great State of Alaska is also a very long way away from Europe, and all the pesky diplomats who have got under Putin's skin. The choice of location for meetings between rival superpowers carries enormous significance. Many times, the charged encounters have been backdropped by Washington or Moscow - as well as Geneva, Vienna and even a Soviet cruise ship. But Alaskan officials are delighted that their icy land will for the first time host a superpower summit. Its geographical location automatically makes it a logical option, placed as it is directly between the US and the expanse of eastern Russia. You can even see Russian territory while standing on Alaskan soil - if you stand on the island of Little Diomede and look out to Big Diomede. Zelensky has been adamant that Ukraine will not accept any further annexation of its land. Although he suggested Russia could be allowed to retain the land it has taken - which means the current frontlines could be frozen as they are. Trump announced on Friday that the only way to resolve the issues is for both sides to accept losses of land. He said: "It's complicated, actually. Nothing is easy. It's very complicated. "We're going to get some switched. There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both." The MAGA prez said he would try to return territory to Ukraine. Don added: "Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. "We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine." Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were "unchanged". Europe stands together Kyiv risks being presented with a take-it-or-leave-it offer during the high-stakes meeting. Zelensky told European leaders they must reject any settlement proposals by the US that demand Ukraine give up further land. Ukraine's boss today arrived in Berlin to hold urgent talks with his allies - who are all hoping to convince Trump to respect Kyiv's interests in his looming summit with Putin. He is set to meet Merz, who has also invited French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders, as well as the heads of the EU and Nato, to one conference call. 10 They are to hold a second call an hour later with Trump and Vice President JD Vance before Merz and Zelensky give press statements. Ahead of the conference call, Zelensky, who spoke with more than 30 international leaders in a few days, said "pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a fair peace". "We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception on the part of Russia. There are currently no signs that the Russians are preparing to end the war," he said in a social media statement. EU leaders stressed on Tuesday "the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny" and that "international borders must not be changed by force". Slave to one's habits Zelensky has warned that Putin has no intention of seeking peace. He claimed Putin would try to fool Trump and continue waging his bloody war against Ukraine. The embattled president said: "[Putin] is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war. "He is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before. 'The Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war." Zelensky said that Putin was redeploying troops and forces "in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations. 'If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.' Ukrainian intelligence indicated that North Korea recently deployed 11,000 soldiers to Russia to facilitate Russia's war effort in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported. Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Chief Major General Vadym Skibitskyi revealed yesterday that there are roughly 11,000 North Korean troops training in western Russia. It comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine Igor Novikov, Zelensky's ex-adviser, spoke to The Sun about the Putin and Trump meeting on US soil. He said: "Trump understands that he needs to put enough sanction pressure and military pressure on Russia for them to consider ending this war. "But at the same time, Putin tries to manipulate and charm him, massage his ego into a position where Russia wins time and the US moves further away from helping Ukraine. "Whatever they decide upon. It won't be taken for granted by the Ukrainian people."


Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Young people are becoming increasingly authoritarian
'It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms', Winston Churchill once declared in the House of Commons. Britain may not feel like much of a free country at the moment, with protestors being arrested for holding placards and the police hauling people away in the dead of night for choice social media posts. But it is still a democracy at least, and an alright one at that. It seems though that many young people do not agree. Polling this week shows that one third of 18-30 year olds are increasingly in favour of authoritarianism. They would prefer an authoritarian system led by a decisive figure, even if it meant sacrificing some democratic freedoms. Dissatisfaction can be found across the political spectrum, with 33 per cent of young Labour voters leaning towards authoritarianism, whilst it is half of the Reform voting youth. As victims of a two-year lockdown, a childhood in the murky waters of the financial crash, and facing the employment Armageddon of AI and a rising jobs tax, is it any wonder that so many young people feel this way? They have had a rum deal of it in a very broken Britain. Not only are their phones and bags increasingly at risk of being pinched, but they can hardly afford to go out, with the price of a pint in London surging to £6.75 on average, or half an hour of minimum wage work (if they can even find a job). Infantilised by a government which seeks to tax, regulate, and throttle their ambition with red-tape and bluster, many cannot even get on the housing ladder after years of working. If democracy isn't delivering, why would you even sign up to fight? One recent survey showed that 30 per cent young people wouldn't don their helmets even if Mr Putin was sending his troops to Dover. Many instead are voting with their feet and moving to to the low-tax Middle Eastern autocracies. However, the radicalisation of young people is not just about the slow immiseration of Britain, with declining living standards and crumbling infrastructure. Myriad videos now appear on people's screens of shop-lifters, bike thieves and illegal immigrants entering the country with ease. And when this immiseration culminates in a young professional having their phone swiped from their hands on their walk to the office, they are told not to worry about it as crime is going down. The lurch towards authoritarianism is not a deep-seated yearning for jack boots, five year plans, or Volkswagen Beetles. It comes from a frustration that the British state, no matter its majorities or might, cannot fix the very basics. When a young person looks down at their Instagram in their ninth hour of their wait in a dingy NHS reception room, at the spotless pavements of Dubai, or the autonomous vehicles of China, is it any wonder they yearn for a government that can actually do something? With the recent spate of headlines about civil breakdown in Britain, propelled by migrant crises, rape gangs, and a neutured government, some politicians have started to listen. Reform's approach is to appeal to this era of youthful discontent with a cabinet made up of professionals, rather than sitting politicians, as in the United States. Likewise, it wants to clear out the top-brass of the civil service to remove bureaucracy. Reform's position is more authoritarian than our current system, but it could feasibly work (if you can find civil servants who are willing to legislate themselves out of a job). Will that be enough for the growing number of authoritarian young people? For many, Britain has been broken for as long as they can remember. It does need 'restoring' as some have proposed, as that would just start the cycle of decline again. For this group, the edifice must be torn down entirely. And they are willing to give up the freedoms enjoyed by previous generations if it means the government works again. Should this happen, blame would lie squarely at the feet of the inhabitants of Whitehall and Parliament. For those in favour of classically liberal values, as well as free expression and fearless journalism, it is essential that we win over this growing minority of young people. But for our side to be victorious, we must push for government to work, urgently, before it is replaced by something rather more authoritarian.