Latest news with #PhilipIngram
Belfast Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Access to £126bn EU rearmament fund under UK-EU trade deal ‘good' for Thales' east Belfast weapons factory
The accord announced on Monday is expected to allow the UK to participate in the fund covering ammunition and missiles, although UK taxpayers will have to make contributions to the EU budget. UK companies will be able to bid for 65% of the fund reserved for member states, with Thales in a strong position as it is a French company with operations in the UK. A security pact with UK and EU officials meeting twice a year for talks on defence and foreign policy has also been agreed. It's hoped the pact could ultimately bear fruit for Thales, which employs 800 people in east Belfast. The company is expected to create another 200 jobs after the UK Government announced in March that it would be investing £1.6bn in the factory as part of an order for 5,000 air defence missiles for Ukraine. Philip Ingram, a journalist specialising in security and intelligence, said: 'Any initiative to ease access to the wider European defence market is a good thing… "Defence industries in Northern Ireland are in a unique position by already having access to the EU markets as well as the power of the UK defence market through being UK-based and often UK-registered companies. 'Defence is in a complex position when it comes to the EU as national priorities take precedence and competition is not equal. That is why Thales' UK arm has a factory in NI but it can also leverage the fact that it is a French company with an element of ownership by the French government.' Countries have undertaken to increase defence spending in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the tightening of US purse strings when it comes to global defence. Mr Ingram said Thales would benefit from increased spending by the UK on its defence budget, and the global growth of defence around the world, including the EU. 'Thales has the backing of the French and UK Governments and produces combat-proven capabilities that people want.' And he said the fund could also be a source of funding for NI companies that are not part of bigger defence businesses. Mr Ingram added: 'We have to recognise the world is an increasingly unstable place and investment in defence will help make it more stable by preparing for the worse. "It's like insurance companies insisting on fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and the like to reduce insurance premiums, it's to reduce the risk not stimulate a fire.' No-one at Thales in Belfast was available for comment. Its portfolio includes StarStreak high-velocity missiles, lightweight multi-role missiles (LMM) and the N-LAW, which has been used by the Ukrainian Army against Russian forces. There has been renewed interest from Europe and further afield in the Belfast short-range air defence capability. ADS Group, the industry body in the UK for aerospace, defence and space, has given the initiative a cautious welcome. "The new security and defence partnership, announced as a work in progress by No10, is a welcome development, although somewhat underwhelming in its lack of detail. "While we are assured that this will pave the way for the UK defence industry to participate in the EU's proposed new €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund, and therefore support thousands of UK jobs, we are reluctant to celebrate too early when the specifics of such a deal remain to be seen. 'For UK defence and security, industrial cooperation is mission critical for more than 160,000 jobs, £10bn in exports, and nearly £12bn in value add to the UK economy.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The mystery electric substation fires that 'bear the hallmarks of Russian sabotage': How spate of suspicious blazes are 'straight out of playbook' of Putin's GRU spy wing
A mysterious spate of electrical substation infernos that have swept across the UK could potentially be the work of Russian saboteurs, a British spymaster has hinted. Colonel Philip Ingram, a former officer in British military intelligence, said Putin 's GRU spy agency might be 'testing the water' with attacks on key infrastructure. It comes after a series of suspicious blazes ravaged substations close to hospitals, military bases, critical transport hubs and major sports stadiums nationwide. Ex-spook Col Ingram claimed the targeting of such power sites was something that comes 'straight out of the playbook' of Russia 's secretive GRU. 'There is a possibility what we're seeing with this spate of fires is tied in with some sabotage operation potentially by Russian GRU. You can't rule it out,' he warned. 'This is something within Russian military intelligence remit to identify and work out how to attack and potentially test those theories.' Meanwhile, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk yesterday accused Russian special services of ordering an arson attack that nearly destroyed a shopping centre in the country's capital Warsaw last year. Russia has denied any involvement in the arson attack and accused Poland of Russophobia. A series of other fires nationwide have followed at electrical substations close to hospitals, military bases and transport hubs. Pictured are fire crews in London attempting to quell the inferno at a substation in Paddington on April 29 In March, Heathrow 's North Hyde substation was destroyed when a fire ripped through it, knocking out power for 12 hours and causing international travel mayhem. Some 270,000 air passenger journeys were disrupted by the closure and left 67,000 homes without power. The disaster proved a national embarrassment and highlighted the vulnerability of one of Britain's main travel hubs. The chaos saw counter-terrorism police initially deployed amid fears the blaze at the National Grid-owned station was a deliberate attack. Five days after the inferno at the 60-year-old transformer, the Metropolitan Police declared it had found 'no evidence to suggest that the incident was suspicious in nature'. It's position has not changed, MailOnline understands. A probe is still being carried out, with an interim report by National Energy System Operator last week warning the cause of the fire at the facility ultimately remains unknown but that they have ruled out any suspicious cause. Experts insist substation fires are 'rare' but 'not unheard of'. But analysis by MailOnline has revealed a number of suspicious incidents taking place in the days and weeks after the Heathrow outage, which have concerned Col Ingram. On April 30 in Glasgow, a huge fire ripped through an electrical substation in Taransay Street. The road backs onto defence giant BAE Systems' Govan shipbuilding facility – which is constructing the next fleet of Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy. No cause for the blaze has been announced, with police now investigating it. The Govan shipyard is deemed a critical site for UK defence, with Col Ingram saying it could be a prime target for hostile state actors or foreign intelligence officials. A day earlier, on April 29, another dramatic inferno ravaged a substation in Paddington, central London. Shocking photos showed a ferocious wall of flames bursting high into the sky from the facility, in Victoria Passage in Aberdeen Place. Eighty residents had to be evacuated from a neighbouring tower block amid fears the flames could engulf it. The fire was less than a mile from St Mary's Hospital which treats thousands of people a year, and Paddington railway station - Britain's second busiest station. The blaze was also close to the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. And on Sunday, two parts of the UK were affected by major substation fires. In Exeter, some 400 homes were left without power after a fire ripped through a power hub in Fore Street. The substation is a few hundred feet from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, one of the region's busiest hospitals treating about 90,000 patients a year. About 250 miles north in Liverpool, another substation in Lower Breck Road bursts into flames. It is based a few hundred feet from the Anfield football stadium – home to Premier League champions, Liverpool. Government sources last night insisted there was 'no evidence' that foreign interference was involved in the spate of blazes - which were likely ignited instead due to 'technical issues'. Col Ingram said the chance of some of the fires being linked to Kremlin spies was unlikely - but not impossible. 'It's more likely to be a coincidence than hostile intelligence services but we can't rule it out,' he said. 'Those investigating these fires need to look at it with an open mind. 'Even if they can't find evidence of a hostile state or of sabotage, that doesn't mean it's not necessarily them. They will be very good at hiding these things and that evidence.' Col Ingram added during his time in working in the British Army, he had planned similar operations to disrupt enemy power supplies ahead of bombing runs. 'This is the sort of planning any intelligence organisation will do and do very carefully,' he said. 'When the Heathrow fire occurred, I was one of the many who thought this was a little too coincidental and too good. It's right out the Russian GRU playbook; identifying things that are relatively unprotected and finding a way of causing damage to them. He continued: 'I remember planning for bombing runs and we needed to shut down an enemy power facility. 'We targeted the substation. There was a lot of planning that went into this. We targeted bespoke equipment or things that would take months to repair. Firefighters douses flames of a fire that broke out at a substation supplying power to Heathrow Airport in Hayes, west London 'We used specialised munitions as they didn't cause large damage or casualties. But it took out a key component that effectively fried itself. We knew that this item was only built in a handful of places in the world and lead time to build it was several months.' Russia has been accused of carrying out a number of sabotage attacks across European Nato countries in recent years. According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), they nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024, after quadrupling between 2022 and 2023. Transportation and critical infrastructure are often the prime targets for such sabotage, the CSIS claimed. About 27 per cent of the known attacks were against transportation targets, another 27 per cent hit government sites, and 21 per cent were against critical infrastructure, including the electricity grid, pipelines and undersea fiber-optic cables, the think-tank added. In November Britain's foreign spy chief accused Russia of waging a 'staggering reckless campaign' of sabotag e across European. Speaking in Paris, Richard Moore, the head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6, said: 'We have recently uncovered a staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe, even as Putin and his acolytes resort to nuclear sabre-rattling to sow fear about the consequences of aiding Ukraine. 'The cost of supporting Ukraine is well known but the cost of not doing so would be infinitely higher. If Putin succeeds China would weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened and Iran would become still more dangerous.' The view was backed by Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, who warned Russia's intelligence agency has been on a relentless mission to create 'sustained mayhem on British and European streets'. During his annual security update on the threats posed by Britain, Mr McCallum said GRU agents had carried out 'arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness'. 'The UK's leading role in supporting Ukraine means we loom large in the fevered imagination of Putin's regime, and we should expect to see continued acts of aggression here at home,' MI5's director-general warned. 'The GRU in particular is on a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we've seen arson, sabotage and more. Dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness.'
Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
How India & Pakistan could spark nuclear war killing 125million as warring neighbours urged to step back from armageddon
INDIA and Pakistan are being urged to step back from armageddon as a nuclear war between the two rivals could kill 125million people. The fighting neighbours traded rocket and artillery attacks in an overnight blitz leaving dozens dead and fears of all-out conflict. 9 The Pakistani military's medium range ballistic missile Hatf V (Ghauri) taking off during a test fire in 2010 9 Indian soldiers stand on the border with Pakistan 9 Footage emerged of Indian rockets fired at Pakistan 9 Pakistan's leader labelled the strikes an "act of war" and his country claimed to have shot down Indian fighter jets. Now, fears are abound that fighting could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons and kill tens of millions. Peace campaigners like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are "gravely concerned" and have called for the two sides to step back from the brink. India and Pakistan only have small stockpiles of nuclear weapons compared to Russia or America - but they have a viscous rivalry and longstanding feud over Kashmir. New Delhi is estimated to have 180 nuclear warheads and can deliver them through land, sea, or air. Islamabad was last officially thought to have 170 weapons but could have grown that arsenal to around 200. Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, said the West will be particularly nervous about a nuclear conflict. Ingram said: "Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed. "The worrying thing about these two nations is that the tensions are very real. "The nuclear weapons are not there to protect them against attack from China or Russia or anyone else. India 'launches airstrikes on Pakistan' in escalation between countries "It's focused purely on each other." Ingram said escalation to using nuclear weapons could happen rapidly and powers like the US would step in to try and prevent their use. He said: "The US Secretary of State, flying into India and Pakistan, would carry out shuttle diplomacy between the two." But that might not be enough to overcome the animosity between the two enemies and their desire to escalate the conflict. One key rung on the escalation ladder would be troops crossing the border in a wider invasion, causing BILLIONS COULD DIE A 2019 academic article predicted how a nuclear war could start between the two countries featuring chilling echoes of what is happening today on the subcontinent. Following a terror attack in 2025, the authors predict in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that skirmishes would at first erupt before the Indian Army decided to invade Pakistan. Pakistani generals then panic and decide the only way they could repulse an attack is with nuclear weapons. 9 Pakistani Army soldiers and people attend the funeral of the victims of the Indian missile strike in Muridke, Punjab province Credit: EPA 9 Members of the Pakistan Central Muslim League take part in an anti-India demonstration in Peshawar Credit: AFP 9 At first Pakistan nukes its own territory to wipe out the invading Indian tanks and soldiers. Sensing a knockout blow, New Delhi decides to launch nukes on Pakistani airfields, army bases, and nuclear weapons depots. Pakistan responds by nuking Indian naval bases and army garrisons - some in cities - and uses its entire arsenal. India then fires some 70 nukes on Pakistan, leaving 100 bombs in its arsenal to continue to deter China. The authors predict up to 125million people would die in the horrifying nuclear exchanges. But the environmental impacts of some 250 nuclear bombs exploding could kill many more, by creating a global famine. Billions could be killed as temperatures drop several degrees around the world and a global food shortage hits. WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE Most experts, including Ingram, think India and Pakistan will choose to deescalate the conflict. Ingram said: "I think this is something that will blow over relatively quickly, because I think both nations recognize the implications of what's going on, but that doesn't mean that the tension is going to simmer down. "We might see more skirmishes in coming days and weeks." Tensions have been simmering for decades and the two countries have been at war at least three times before. 9 The attacks came amid soaring tensions between the two countries 9 Pakistanis gather around the debris of an Indian jet Credit: Alamy In 2019, India conducted airstrikes on Pakistan after border skirmishes erupted out of Kashmir tensions - but the sides deescalated after that. India's Ministry of Defence said the strikes against the camps were in retaliation to a "barbaric" mass shooting in Kashmir last month, when 26 people were killed by gunmen. A spokesperson said: "These military strikes were designed to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families." In an article for the Atlantic Council, Alex Plitsas assessed strikes so far seemed calculated to allow the other side to save face. Plitsas said: "By publicly framing the strikes as counterterrorism-focused and avoiding sovereign Pakistani targets, New Delhi sought to limit retaliatory pressure on Islamabad." Pakistan has, meanwhile, kept its rhetoric cautious and vowed it has the The US, China, Britain, and UN have all called for peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X: "I echo @POTUS's comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution." CONFLICT COULD HELP CHINA Ingram said the conflict risks pushing Pakistan into the arms of the "Axis of Evil" - the alliance between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Ingram said: "It wouldn't surprise me if we're seeing Pakistan supplying some capability to Russia." Ingram said China could use the conflict as a way of testing its weapons on the battlefield to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. He said: "China could stimulate a refocus of Western attention, you know, back to Pakistan, India, possibly North and South Korea, while China is focusing on Taiwan. "China would love to do that. It's within their playbook. It's the sort of tactics they'd use." Pakistan would likely not start sending weapons to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine as it needs to stockpile ammunition and guns for its own battles. Ingram said: "But I think we'll see closer relations building up, and they could come into this grouping that we are loosely referring to as the axis of evil. "And it's worrying that continues to grow."
The Irish Sun
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
How India & Pakistan could spark nuclear war killing 125million as warring neighbours urged to step back from armageddon
INDIA and Pakistan are being urged to step back from armageddon as a nuclear war between the two rivals could kill 125million people. The fighting neighbours Advertisement 9 The Pakistani military's medium range ballistic missile Hatf V (Ghauri) taking off during a test fire in 2010 9 Indian soldiers stand on the border with Pakistan 9 Footage emerged of Indian rockets fired at Pakistan 9 Pakistan's leader labelled the strikes an "act of war" and his country claimed to have shot down Indian fighter jets. Now, fears are abound that fighting could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons and kill tens of millions. Peace campaigners like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are "gravely concerned" and have called for the two sides to step back from the brink. India and Pakistan only have small stockpiles of nuclear weapons compared to Russia or America - but they have a viscous rivalry and longstanding feud over Advertisement Read more on world news Islamabad was last officially thought to have 170 weapons but could have grown that arsenal to around 200. Colonel Philip Ingram, a former British Army commander, said the West will be particularly nervous about a nuclear conflict. Ingram said: "Western intelligence in particular will be focused on the readiness and the outloading of nuclear stocks inside both Pakistan and India and monitoring what's happening to them very closely indeed. Advertisement Most read in The Sun "The worrying thing about these two nations is that the tensions are very real. "The nuclear weapons are not there to protect them against attack from China or Russia or anyone else. India 'launches airstrikes on Pakistan' in escalation between countries "It's focused purely on each other." Ingram said escalation to using nuclear weapons could happen rapidly and powers like the US would step in to try and prevent their use. Advertisement He said: "The US Secretary of State, flying into India and Pakistan, would carry out shuttle diplomacy between the two." But that might not be enough to overcome the animosity between the two enemies and their desire to escalate the conflict. One key rung on the escalation ladder would be troops crossing the border in a wider invasion, causing BILLIONS COULD DIE A 2019 academic article predicted how a Advertisement Following a terror attack in 2025, the authors predict in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that skirmishes would at first erupt before the Indian Army decided to invade Pakistan. Pakistani generals then panic and decide the only way they could repulse an attack is with nuclear weapons. 9 Pakistani Army soldiers and people attend the funeral of the victims of the Indian missile strike in Muridke, Punjab province Credit: EPA 9 Members of the Pakistan Central Muslim League take part in an anti-India demonstration in Peshawar Credit: AFP Advertisement 9 At first Pakistan nukes its own territory to wipe out the invading Indian tanks and soldiers. Sensing a knockout blow, New Delhi decides to launch nukes on Pakistani airfields, army bases, and nuclear weapons depots. Pakistan responds by nuking Indian naval bases and army garrisons - some in cities - and uses its entire arsenal. Advertisement India then fires some 70 nukes on Pakistan, leaving 100 bombs in its arsenal to continue to deter China. The authors predict up to 125million people would die in the horrifying nuclear exchanges. But the environmental impacts of some 250 nuclear bombs exploding could kill many more, by creating a global famine. Billions could be killed as temperatures drop several degrees around the world and a global food shortage hits. Advertisement WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE Most experts, including Ingram, think India and Pakistan will choose to deescalate the conflict. Ingram said: "I think this is something that will blow over relatively quickly, because I think both nations recognize the implications of what's going on, but that doesn't mean that the tension is going to simmer down. "We might see more skirmishes in coming days and weeks." Tensions have been simmering for decades and the two countries have been at war at least three times before. Advertisement 9 The attacks came amid soaring tensions between the two countries 9 Pakistanis gather around the debris of an Indian jet Credit: Alamy In 2019, India conducted airstrikes on Pakistan after border skirmishes erupted out of Kashmir tensions - but the sides deescalated after that. India's Ministry of Defence said the strikes against the camps were in retaliation to a "barbaric" , when 26 people were killed by gunmen. Advertisement A spokesperson said: "These military strikes were designed to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families." In an Plitsas said: "By publicly framing the strikes as counterterrorism-focused and avoiding sovereign Pakistani targets, New Delhi sought to limit retaliatory pressure on Islamabad." Pakistan has, meanwhile, kept its rhetoric cautious and vowed it has the Advertisement The US, China, Britain, and UN have all called for peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X: "I echo @POTUS's comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution." CONFLICT COULD HELP CHINA Ingram said the conflict risks pushing Pakistan into the arms of the "Axis of Evil" - the alliance between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Ingram said: "It wouldn't surprise me if we're seeing Pakistan supplying some capability to Russia." Advertisement Ingram said China could use the conflict as a way of testing its weapons on the battlefield to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. He said: "China could stimulate a refocus of Western attention, you know, back to Pakistan, India, possibly North and South Korea, while China is focusing on Taiwan. "China would love to do that. It's within their playbook. It's the sort of tactics they'd use." Pakistan would likely not start sending weapons to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine as it needs to stockpile ammunition and guns for its own battles. Advertisement Ingram said: "But I think we'll see closer relations building up, and they could come into this grouping that we are loosely referring to as the axis of evil. "And it's worrying that continues to grow." What is the Kashmir conflict about? The region of Kashmir has always been a contentious issue even before India and Pakistan won their independence from Britain. But the current conflict stems from how the region was split up as the two countries were gaining independence. Indian troops took two-thirds of Kashmir, while Pakistan seized the northern third. Since then, two wars have been fought between the two countries and the row has developed into one of the most intense geopolitical rivalries on earth. There are about 16 million people in Kashmir, split between the Indian-controlled and Pakistani-controlled zones.
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
SAS 'very likely' to have been at fore of terror raids that foiled major UK attack
A former British intelligence chief said that, given how close the suspects allegedly were to carrying out a massacre, it was 'distinctly possible' the Special Air Service (SAS) played a supporting role in the busts Elite soldiers from the Special Air Service (SAS) are "very likely" to have joined counter- terror police and MI5 in thwarting a "major terror attack" on British soil, according to security experts. In a high-stakes operation targeting suspected Iranian agents, authorities launched raids on alleged terror cells in a move described as "highly significant", with a devastating attack thought to have been just hours from taking place. Sources said the suspected plot involved plans to strike a UK site, branding it a "major attack" with an imminent threat to life. It is believed members of the SAS's elite counter-terror unit - known as the "special projects" team - may have backed up armed officers during the busts. One former British intelligence chief said that, given how close the suspects allegedly were to carrying out a massacre, it was "distinctly possible" the military played a supporting role. The Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces operations, but according to a former SAS operator, it was likely that a squad from the formidable "Who Dares Wins" regiment took part in storming a property in Rochdale alongside counter-terror police, MailOnline reports. According to the expert, SAS troops would likely have been armed with explosives to breach doors, working in tandem with police. Photos from the scene show figures in military helmets and body armour, carrying what appear to be suppressed C8 rifles - standard issue for the SAS. Other images show officers kitted out in black and grey tactical gear - believed to be elite Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFOs). Locals reported hearing a series of loud bangs and shouting before suspects were marched out by counter-terrorism teams. There was a massive explosion and flame. It was officers using explosives to blow open the door," one eyewitness said. Photos taken after the operation show a smashed ground-floor window at the raided property. It's thought this was to allow officers to lob in flash-bang grenades before storming the alleged terror cell. In another dramatic scene, plain-clothed officers were seen detaining a man in Swindon town centre. The former SAS veteran said those involved were likely counter-terror police rather than special forces. Colonel Philip Ingram, a former military intelligence officer, said SAS troops and their surveillance counterparts in the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) may have been deployed, with sites across the UK targeted simultaneously. "It's distinctly possible that - given the national-level threat and hostile state involvement - SRR personnel were on the ground handling surveillance, with special forces backing up counter-terror police," Col Ingram said. "There's a strong possibility that, given the multifaceted nature of the threat, UK special forces were working in tandem with counter-terror teams."
