Britain’s armed forces must be ready to go “toe-to-toe” with Russia, the head of the military has warned, as fears grow over the UK’s ability to deter a major conflict.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Britain needs a military powerful enough to make enemies think twice before starting a war.
His warning comes as tensions rise across Europe and NATO allies push for a new era of defence spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The British Army can be very proud and confident in what it is doing,” Sir Richard said.
“But an Army that is able to go toe-to-toe with Russia – like Ukraine’s – is necessary, but it’s not sufficient.”
The message was blunt: Britain cannot simply rely on fighting the wars of today — it must build a force capable of preventing the wars of tomorrow.
Sir Richard said the Armed Forces must become something “adversaries are scared of”, combining traditional military strength with new technology including drones and autonomous weapons.
“Our focus must be on building the Armed Forces that stop war starting,” he said.
“That means Armed Forces that our adversaries are scared of.”
The warning comes amid mounting concern over the delayed Defence Investment Plan, which is supposed to set out how Britain will rebuild its military capability.
The plan has been repeatedly delayed, sparking a bitter funding row inside Government and contributing to the resignations of former Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns.
Mr Healey warned the proposed investment package was falling short, arguing that defence chiefs had been seeking billions more to meet growing threats.
He said the current plans would leave Britain spending below the level many allies believe is needed to face a more dangerous world.
The Government has promised the long-awaited plan will be published before the NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey, where Britain’s defence commitments will face close scrutiny.
Sir Richard also warned that a modern military cannot rely only on expensive high-end weapons.
The future battlefield, he suggested, will require a mixture of elite capabilities and cheaper systems that can be produced and replaced quickly.
“Our job as Armed Forces is to avoid war because, in every way we might look at it, war is costly,” he said.
The comments come after warnings that Russia could pose a serious threat to NATO within the next decade.
With Britain’s armed forces under pressure, defence chiefs argue that investment now is cheaper than paying the price of being unprepared later.
As the Kremlin continues its confrontation with the West, Britain faces a stark choice: rebuild its military strength — or risk being tested by an increasingly dangerous world.
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