New command will counter ‘continual and intensifying' cyber warfare, says Healey
It will also invest more than £1 billion into a new 'digital targeting web' to be set up by 2027 to better connect weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster.
It could identify a threat using a sensor on a ship or in space and then disable it using an F-35 aircraft, drone, or offensive cyber operation, the Ministry of Defence said.
The cyber and electromagnetic command will be led by General Sir Jim Hockenhull to defend against cyber attacks and co-ordinate offensive moves with the national cyber force.
Defence Secretary John Healey said that the Government is responding after some 90,000 cyber attacks from state-linked sources were directed at the UK's defence over the last two years.
'Certainly the intensity of the cyber attacks that we're seeing from Russia stepped up, and cyber is now the leading edge, not just of defence, but of contests and tension between countries,' he told reporters during a visit to MOD Corsham.
He said there is a 'level of cyber warfare that is continual and intensifying' that requires the UK to step up its capacity to defend against it.
The command will also work on electromagnetic warfare – for example, through degrading command and control, jamming signals to drones or missiles and intercepting an adversary's communications.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump offers Macron marriage advice after ‘shoving' incident
Donald Trump has offered Emmanuel Macron marital advice after the French president was shoved in the face by his wife Brigitte. Mr Macron and his wife sparked a global furore on Sunday after the French first lady was filmed pushing her husband into his face, moments before they exited their plane in Vietnam. Asked if he had any advice for his French counterpart, Mr Trump recommended they keep any physical confrontations out of public viewing. 'Make sure the door remains closed,' he quipped to reporters in the Oval Office, during a joint press conference with Elon Musk to mark the Tesla billionaire's departure from government. The president went on to pour cold water on speculation about a rift in the pair's marriage. 'They're fine,' Mr Trump said. 'They're two really good people I know very well, and I didn't know what that was all about, but I know him very well. And they're fine.' Mr Musk later joked that a black eye he was sporting during the press conference was not given to him by the French president's wife. 'I wasn't anywhere near France,' he said about the bruise, before explaining it was given to him by his five-year-old son, X, who he allegedly invited to punch him in the face. Footage, shot by the Associated press news agency in Hanoi, showed Mr Macron standing alone as the plane's door opened. Suddenly, the arms of his wife, who was off-camera, could be seen through the doorway emerging from the left before she pushed him in the face with both hands. Mr Macron appeared taken aback but swiftly regained his composure and turned to wave through the open door. The couple then walked down the plane's staircase without Mrs Macron taking her husband's hand. Footage of the incident, along with photographs of Mr Macron appearing to look angry, quickly spread on social media. The Elysée Palace initially claimed the footage was AI-generated, only to later admit the images were real but were in fact a sign of 'closeness' and horseplay after a 16-hour flight. 'It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh. It was a moment of closeness,' said an Elysée aide. Mr Macron later blamed 'crackpot' conspiracy theorists for seeking to intensify rumours around the state of his marriage. In a bid to quell speculation, Mr Macron and his wife made light of the shoving incident as they arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday. The president performed a tongue-in-cheek wave for the cameras before appearing at the top of the stairs laughing. Instead of a shove, after a few seconds of suspense, Mrs Macron appeared, all smiles. The couple then locked arms, and descended the stairs side-by-side to greet officials. Addressing the shoving incident, Mr Macron said: 'My wife and I were squabbling, or rather we were joking, and I was taken by surprise. Now it has become a kind of planetary catastrophe, and some are even coming up with theories.'
Pembrokeshire Herald
2 hours ago
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Extra funding to help plug National Insurance shortfall in Wales
Welsh Government steps in to protect vital services WELSH public services are set to receive additional funding to help meet rising employer National Insurance (NI) costs—after a shortfall in support from the UK Government left a significant funding gap. The increase in employer NI contributions has added an estimated £257 million in annual costs to the Welsh public sector. Of that, the UK Government has committed £185 million, leaving a £72 million deficit. To help cover this shortfall, the Welsh Government has announced it will allocate £36 million from its reserves. This brings the total support package to £220 million, which will cover approximately 85% of the increased costs. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: 'We're protecting our vital public services by using £36 million from our reserves to help address the National Insurance shortfall left by the UK Government. 'While the UK Government has provided some funding, it does not match the actual financial burden now facing Welsh services. This leaves a multi-million-pound gap year after year. 'We've stepped in to support our services as much as we can, but we cannot afford to plug the entire shortfall. The UK Government should treat public services equally across the UK and honour its commitment to fully fund these extra costs.' The Welsh Government warned that continued shortfalls could place pressure on frontline services if the funding gap is not fully addressed. The Welsh Lib Dems responded to what they say was Mark Drakeford's National Insurance Bombshell. Leader Jane Dodds MS said: 'The Welsh Lib Dems have opposed this disastrous jobs tax from day one. Not only is it hammering our small businesses with unemployment in Wales rising, but it is now clear it will leave Wales with a gaping hole in its public finances and our public services worse off. 'The fact that the First Minister cannot even convince the UK government that the increased cost to the public sector should be covered by the Treasury shows how little influence Welsh Labour have in London. 'The Liberal Democrats will continue to argue for a reversal of the national insurance hike and fair funding for Wales.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Schools and hospitals ‘not over hurdle' of unsafe concrete, says minister
Schools and the NHS are 'not over that hurdle' of unsafe concrete, a minister has said. Catherine McKinnell also said ministers cannot 'fix everything overnight' when asked how much of the maintenance backlog could be eliminated or when schools would be free of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). The Government has announced that around £1.2 billion – part of funding packages announced in last year's autumn budget – will be spent on repairing crumbling schools and hospitals across the country. Asked about Raac, school standards minister Ms McKinnell told LBC: 'We're not over that hurdle yet, and we're not over it in the NHS either.' She added that 'we have identified all the Raac' and there are plans for buildings to be fixed or rebuilt, because 'the fact that they have Raac in them means that they're probably a substantial age as a building'. More than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges across England were forced to shut down days before the autumn term in 2023 amid concerns that classrooms and other buildings containing Raac were unsafe. Asked on BBC Breakfast on Friday whether she could provide a figure for how much of the £14 billion maintenance backlog would be completed or when schools would be rid of Raac, Ms McKinnell said: 'We are working very hard, but you can't just switch a switch and fix everything overnight.' According to the Government, pupils at 656 schools and sixth forms will benefit from a share of this year's £470 million Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), used for projects such as fixing crumbling roofs and removing asbestos. More than 400 hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites will be handed £750 million to tackle problems such as leaky pipes, poor ventilation and electrical issues. Projects to deliver improvements to schools and hospital buildings will be delivered during the 2025/26 financial year, with the first upgrades to begin this summer, the Government has said. A report by the National Audit Office in January estimated it would cost around £13.8 billion to address the repairs and remedial work backlog for hospitals and other NHS properties in England, and an additional £13.8 billion for the school estate.
