The government has told the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to prepare the UK for war “in our own backyard” and staff in charge of defence procurement have been ordered to expedite the process to ensure the Armed Forces are “ready to fight.”
Defence Minister Luke Pollard who is in charge of procurement said, “We are not at war, but nor are we at peace any longer.”
George Robertson, the former General Secretary of NATO said last week that “Russia is clearly at war with us. I’ve no doubt at all that even though we’re not at war with them, they’ve clearly declared war on us.”
Robertson said that the Kremlin are using criminals to undertake sabotage operations across Western Europe.
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Around £288.6 billion has been allocated by the MoD over the period between 2023 and 2033.
Pollared said, “Procurements that take five years need to take two years. Those that take two, need to take one.”
He warned, “We need to be ready for war fighting in a way that we have not done for many years, not expeditionary war fighting, but securing our own backyard.
The Defence Minister said that the MoD are changing their “risk ratios” Pollard added, “Peacetime procurement was fine when we were in a peacetime, but you all know that we are not at war, but nor are we at peace any longer.
“So our procurement system needs to adapt, and that means we need a different approach to how we look at risk, and a cultural shift about how we do that, and that means shifting our focus to readiness and growth, to war-fighting readiness.”
Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, said, “The time for talk on this matter is over. If Ministers truly believe Britain is ‘not at peace’ then they must act like it. With ever-increasing threats and new forms of warfare emerging, the Government needs to set out a clear plan and a firm commitment for how our armed forces will be ready should conflict come. Speeches don’t deter adversaries – credible capability does.”
In June this year Sir Keir Starmer announced he preparing for war as he has vowed to make Britain “battle ready” as he announced a defence review.
The UK is already under conflict from Russia with cyber-attacks, spy vessel patrolling the English Channel mapping out the UK’s underwater internet cables and has been persistent with warplanes flying close to Britain’s borders.
The Prime Minister said, “[The defence review] is a blueprint to make Britain safer and stronger, a battle-ready, armour-clad nation with the strongest alliances and the most advanced capabilities.”
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