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Scottish Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Nuclear strikes, secret bunkers for Royals, & massive cyber attacks… how Britain is secretly bracing for war with Russia
BRITAIN is bracing for a devastating war with Russia - with plans to bolster security, create bunkers for the Royals and prevent massive cyber attacks. Government officials are racing to update decades-old contingency plans amid fears the nation is not ready for a potential attack from the Kremlin. 5 British soldiers before the start of Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise - involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries Credit: AP 5 British soldiers practice an assault on February 17, 2025 in Smardan, Romania Credit: Getty 5 British troops load a 105MM Howitzer in Norway during war drills Credit: PA 5 Royal Marine Commandos take up position on a beach in Harvstad, Norway after swimming ashore during a training exercise Credit: PA 5 The classified "home defence plan" would lay out how Downing Street will respond if Vladimir Putin declares war on the UK, including putting the Royal Family into bunkers. Ministers worry Britain could be outfought by Russia on the battlefield, but also poorly defended at home as things stand. Experts have warned that the country's national infrastructure is vulnerable ahead of the release of Labour's Strategic Defence Review - an examination of the Armed Forces. As military warfare has evolved in the past two decades, fears are that Putin could launch a combination of attacks, including conventional ballistic missile strikes, sabotage and the latest tactic in the Russian playbook - cyberwarfare. But Britain, which is just beginning to review and revise its security and contingency plans for the first time in more than 20 years - is feared not to be fully prepared to go to war against the Russians. Former Nato commander Colonel Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "Britain is very much in the sights of Putin's derision, and we are the ones likely to be attacked first. "Britain really has got to dust off its contingency plans. Over 20 years of neglect, and we understand that's exactly what this report is about at the moment." Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp, who was working in the Cabinet Office when the contingency plans were last updated, told The Sun: "Contingency plans like this should be updated frequently. Twenty years is far too long, especially given the radically changed threat picture. "Putin has said Britain is in his crosshairs since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Even before then, he proved he was willing to attack this country, including with a nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018. We should take him seriously." The classified plan by the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate - which was last updated in 2005 - would set out war strategies in the event of a catastrophic attack by the Russians, which could well involve tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The plan is based on the War Book, a Cold War dossier of instructions for government response to nuclear attacks. Under such plans, Britain could be divided into 12 zones, each governed by Cabinet ministers, and food rationed. The plans will include scenarios like widespread sabotage and crippling cyber warfare, which were seen as a limited threat back when the document was last updated. It will also direct the PM on how to run a wartime government, as well as strategies for travel networks, courts and the postal system, reports the Daily Telegraph. Although the highly-classified document is expected to never be revealed in the public domain, military experts suggest what could be changed to prepare us for a potential war against the Russians. Colonel Bretton-Gordon said that cyber attacks will be given a major chunk of attention in the latest round of updates. He believes the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) would be given additional funding to improve the existing measures against cyber attackers. There is particular concern for the country's five active nuclear power stations, which if damaged by strikes, could release radioactive material across the country, resulting in long-term impact. In the event of an all-out war against Vladimir Putin, members of the Royal family and key government officials will be sent to secret hideout bunkers to protect them. Food circulation and modern logistics systems will be made more robust to ensure essential items can reach people whenever there is a need. And the public will be made more aware of their wartime duties. Bretton-Gordon added: "Plans will be to make sure our critical infrastructure is as secure as it can be. "There will be contingency plans. If one nuclear power station goes down, then other power infrastructure can take up the slack. "During the Cold War, the people probably had a lot of training and expertise to deal with contaminated nuclear casualties, but the situation has probably changed now. "These are the sort of things that just need to be reviewed, so that in the event this happens, it's not a complete shock." "We are up against an autocratic tyrant who has absolutely no concern for collateral damage or civilian casualties. "I'm sure Putin wouldn't think twice about firing a missile, nuclear or conventional, at London cities and the UK's critical national infrastructure." Meanwhile, Colonel Kemp warned that Russia could attack Britain in several ways that could wreak havoc on nation - and our armed forces are simply not prepared enough to fight Putin's troops. He added: "We could be the target of large-scale ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone, cyber, chemical and even nuclear strikes as well as sabotage. "I would hope that what has recently been happening in Ukraine and the Middle East has galvanised our leaders so that we are prepared. But we have a huge amount of ground to make up." "The best way to avoid such things happening to us is deterring an attack. That means we need to substantially increase our own offensive as well as defensive capabilities." NOT GOOD ENOUGH The Cabinet Office ran a risk assessment in January in which it modelled a scenario in which a hostile foreign state launched various types of attack on the UK's infrastructure. It found that any such successful strike could be devastating. A senior RAF official said last month if Russia had attacked the UK in the same way as it had Ukraine more than three years ago - within hours missiles would have broken through defences and destroyed key targets. Military experts agree that Britain's air defence systems are not adequate to thwart a large-scale missile attack. Colonel Kemp said: "One of our major weaknesses is air defence, both for our forces and homeland defence. "Putin has significant long-range missile and attack drone capability, which could be used against us. "The other day, a Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen penetrated Israel's air defences and struck their international airport. "Israel has the most comprehensive and advanced air and missile defence systems in the world. "That shows how vulnerable any country can be to attack, and we have nothing even approaching Israel's capabilities." Bretton-Gordon added: " I expect, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, a lot of focus will be on air defence. "But it's not just missiles and fighter jets, the Ukraine war shows how effective drone warfare could be."
The Irish Sun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Nuclear strikes, secret bunkers for Royals, & massive cyber attacks… how Britain is secretly bracing for war with Russia
BRITAIN is bracing for a devastating war with Russia - with plans to bolster security, create bunkers for the Royals and prevent massive cyber attacks. Government officials are racing to update decades-old contingency plans amid fears the nation is not ready for a potential attack from the Kremlin. Advertisement 5 British soldiers before the start of Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise - involving some 10,000 troops in three different countries Credit: AP 5 British soldiers practice an assault on February 17, 2025 in Smardan, Romania Credit: Getty 5 British troops load a 105MM Howitzer in Norway during war drills Credit: PA 5 Royal Marine Commandos take up position on a beach in Harvstad, Norway after swimming ashore during a training exercise Credit: PA 5 The classified "home defence plan" would lay out how Downing Street will respond if Vladimir Putin declares war on the UK, including putting the Royal Family into bunkers. Ministers worry Britain could be outfought by Russia on the battlefield, but also poorly defended at home as things stand. Experts have warned that the country's national infrastructure is vulnerable ahead of the release of Labour's Strategic Defence Review - an examination of the Armed Forces. As military warfare has evolved in the past two decades, fears are that Putin could launch a combination of attacks, including conventional ballistic missile strikes, sabotage and the latest tactic in the Russian playbook - cyberwarfare. Advertisement But Britain, which is just beginning to review and revise its security and contingency plans for the first time in more than 20 years - is feared not to be fully prepared to go to war against the Russians. Former Nato commander Colonel Hamish De Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "Britain is very much in the sights of Putin's derision, and we are the ones likely to be attacked first. "Britain really has got to dust off its contingency plans. Over 20 years of neglect, and we understand that's exactly what this report is about at the moment." Retired military officer Colonel Richard Kemp, who was working in the Cabinet Office when the contingency plans were last updated, told The Sun: "Contingency plans like this should be updated frequently. Twenty years is far too long, especially given the radically changed threat picture. Advertisement Most read in The Sun "Putin has said Britain is in his crosshairs since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Even before then, he proved he was willing to attack this country, including with a nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018. We should take him seriously." The classified plan by the Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate - which was last updated in 2005 - would set out war strategies in the event of a catastrophic attack by the Russians, which could well involve tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The plan is based on the War Book, a Cold War dossier of instructions for government response to nuclear attacks. Advertisement Under such plans, Britain could be divided into 12 zones, each governed by Cabinet ministers, and food rationed. The plans will include scenarios like widespread sabotage and crippling cyber warfare, which were seen as a limited threat back when the document was last updated. It will also direct the PM on how to run a wartime government, as well as strategies for travel networks, courts and the postal system, reports the Daily Telegraph. Although the highly-classified document is expected to never be revealed in the public domain, military experts suggest what could be changed to prepare us for a potential war against the Russians. Advertisement Colonel Bretton-Gordon said that cyber attacks will be given a major chunk of attention in the latest round of updates. He believes the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) would be given additional funding to improve the existing measures against cyber attackers. There is particular concern for the country's five active nuclear power stations, which if damaged by strikes, could release radioactive material across the country, resulting in long-term impact. In the event of an all-out war against Vladimir Putin, members of the Royal family and key government officials will be sent to secret hideout bunkers to protect them. Advertisement Food circulation and modern logistics systems will be made more robust to ensure essential items can reach people whenever there is a need. And the public will be made more aware of their wartime duties. Bretton-Gordon added: "Plans will be to make sure our critical infrastructure is as secure as it can be. "There will be contingency plans. If one nuclear power station goes down, then other power infrastructure can take up the slack. Advertisement "During the Cold War, the people probably had a lot of training and expertise to deal with contaminated nuclear casualties, but the situation has probably changed now. "These are the sort of things that just need to be reviewed, so that in the event this happens, it's not a complete shock." "We are up against an autocratic tyrant who has absolutely no concern for collateral damage or civilian casualties. "I'm sure Putin wouldn't think twice about firing a missile, nuclear or conventional, at London cities and the UK's critical national infrastructure." Advertisement Meanwhile, Colonel Kemp warned that Russia could attack Britain in several ways that could wreak havoc on nation - and our armed forces are simply not prepared enough to fight Putin's troops. He added: "We could be the target of large-scale ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone, cyber, chemical and even nuclear strikes as well as sabotage. "I would hope that what has recently been happening in Ukraine and the Middle East has galvanised our leaders so that we are prepared. But we have a huge amount of ground to make up." "The best way to avoid such things happening to us is deterring an attack. That means we need to substantially increase our own offensive as well as defensive capabilities." Advertisement NOT GOOD ENOUGH The Cabinet Office ran a risk assessment in January in which it modelled a scenario in which a hostile foreign state launched various types of attack on the UK's infrastructure. It found that any such successful strike could be devastating. A senior RAF official said last month if Russia had attacked the UK in the same way as it had Military experts agree that Britain's air defence systems are not adequate to thwart a large-scale missile attack. Advertisement Colonel Kemp said: "One of our major weaknesses is air defence, both for our forces and homeland defence. "Putin has significant long-range missile and attack drone capability, which could be used against us. "The other day, a Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen penetrated Israel's air defences and struck their international airport. "Israel has the most comprehensive and advanced air and missile defence systems in the world. Advertisement "That shows how vulnerable any country can be to attack, and we have nothing even approaching Israel's capabilities." Bretton-Gordon added: " I expect, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, a lot of focus will be on air defence. "But it's not just missiles and fighter jets, the Ukraine war shows how effective drone warfare could be." Read more on the Irish Sun Advertisement
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Global military spending jumped more in 2024 than any year since Cold War, think tank says
Global military expenditure rose by 9.4% in 2024 to $2.7 trillion, the steepest yearly rise since the end of the Cold War, according to data compiled by the global security think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Spending in Europe, including Russia, was a big factor behind the global surge in spending, SIPRI said. European nations' collective spending increased by 17% to $693 billion amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the organization's data show. Russia's government increased its military spending by 38% to an estimated $149 billion last year, while Ukraine's grew by 2.9% to $64.7 billion. The Ukrainian spending amounted to 34% of the country's GDP, the largest military expenditure by percentage of GDP of any nation last year, according to SIPRI. "Russia once again significantly increased its military spending, widening the spending gap with Ukraine," said Diego Lopes da Silva, a senior researcher at SIPRI. "Ukraine currently allocates all of its tax revenues to its military. In such a tight fiscal space, it will be challenging for Ukraine to keep increasing its military spending." All NATO member nations increased their military spending, too, with 18 countries spending at least 2% of their GDP during 2024, which SIPRI said was the highest number of NATO members to hit that threshold since the alliance adopted it as a spending guideline in 2014. NATO military forces are seen during the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises at the Smardan Training Area, in Smardan, Romania, Feb. 19, 2025. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty "The rapid spending increases among European NATO members were driven mainly by the ongoing Russian threat and concerns about possible U.S. disengagement within the alliance," said Jade Guiberteau Ricard, another SIPRI researcher. "It is worth saying that boosting spending alone will not necessarily translate into significantly greater military capability or independence from the USA. Those are far more complex tasks." In the Middle East, Israel and Lebanon significantly increased their military spending. Israel boosted its defense investment by 65% to $46.5 billion, while Lebanon increased its own by 58%, to $635 million. "Despite widespread expectations that many Middle Eastern countries would increase their military spending in 2024, major rises were limited to Israel and Lebanon," said SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim. "Elsewhere [in the region], countries either did not significantly increase spending in response to the war in Gaza or were prevented from doing so by economic constraints." SIPRI said Iran's military expenditure fell in real terms by 10% to $7.9 billion, despite its involvement in regional conflicts. U.S. military spending grew by 5.7% to $997 billion, amounting to 66% of NATO spending in 2024 and 37% of global military spending. China was the world's second largest military spender last year behind the U.S., accounting for half of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, SIPRI said. China increased its spending by 7% to $314 billion. "Major military spenders in the Asia-Pacific region are investing increasing resources into advanced military capabilities," said Nan Tian, the director of the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. 'With several unresolved disputes and mounting tensions, these investments risk sending the region into a dangerous arms-race spiral."
Euronews
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
NATO conducts military drill amid worries US security priorities lie away from Europe
NATO members are continuing their biggest combat exercises of 2025, testing their ability to rapidly deploy large-scale forces on the 32-nation alliance's eastern border as worries grow over its most powerful member, the United States. The drills in Romania, which borders Ukraine, come as a shaken Europe grapples with a new US course under President Donald Trump. In the run-up to the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises comprise about 10,000 military personnel from nine nations as part of NATO's new Allied Reaction Force. They are taking place over six weeks in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has demanded that allies dramatically ramp up military spending and said US security priorities lie elsewhere, casting doubts on Washington's longstanding security guarantees provided to Europe. Although the Trump administration has not announced plans to pull US forces from the region, Hegseth's remark that "European allies must lead from the front" left NATO partners contemplating a potential new reality in which the US is no longer the powerful, nuclear-armed backstop for the continent's security. Radu Tudor, a defence analyst in Bucharest, said a US rollback of its military presence in Romania would be "a gift" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The whole eastern flank of NATO (would) become weaker in front of Russia's aggressive behaviour," he said, adding that it would push Romania to ask NATO allies to contribute troops and weapons to plug the gap left by several thousand American troops. Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command, said threats to NATO "have become increasingly complex and unpredictable" over the past decade. "To address this complex security environment, NATO has undergone a significant war-fighting transformation. We have taken our defensive plans from concept to reality," Munsch told reporters at the training base on Wednesday. Without strong defence there is no lasting security. Without security there is no freedom. And without freedom, we cannot live our lives the way we want to. Mark Rutte Secretary General of NATO "This exercise…represents the culmination of our efforts and the beginning of our new force that will defend every inch of alliance territory." European allies have also expressed concern over being sidelined from talks between US and Russian diplomats on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia on working towards ending the war in Ukraine. The fast-moving developments prompted France's President Emmanuel Macron to convene select EU countries and the UK for emergency talks this week in Paris. NATO bolstering eastern flank This week's combat exercises in Romania saw live-fire training and trench warfare drills. Greek and Spanish marines led exercises in Greece last week, including a mock amphibious assault. NATO's new Allied Reaction Force, established last July, is designed to deploy at scale within 10 days and combines conventional forces with cyber and space-based technologies. Britain leads the operation with 2,600 military personnel and 730 vehicles. The drills also include Romania, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey and involves 1,500 military vehicles, more than 20 aircraft and more than a dozen naval assets. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, NATO bolstered its presence on Europe's eastern flank by sending additional multinational battlegroups to Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Since then, Romania has played an increasingly prominent role in the alliance. It has donated a Patriot missile system to Ukraine and opened an international training hub for F-16 jet pilots from allied countries, including Ukraine.
Voice of America
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Voice of America
February 19, 2025
1 Lance Corporal Jamie Killorn of the 4SCOTS The Highlanders Company plays the pipe at the end of the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise, involving some 10,000 troops from nine nations and representing the largest NATO operation planned this year, at a training range in Smardan, eastern Romania.
