Britain must prepare for the worst and be ready for war in under three years, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned, saying the country has around 1,000 days to be in a position to fight and win.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Streeting said the country's enemies are likely to be in a position to attack by 2030. He said his defining priority is to make sure the country is ready to fight and win a war.
Adversaries' capacity has changed
Mr Streeting said: "To prevent the worst, we have to prepare for it. In the first instance, that means expanding our capabilities so our adversaries think twice about attacking us. Should that fail, we must ensure that Britain is ready for war."
His comments come amid escalating Russian hybrid warfare against NATO countries, with reports claiming fishing trawlers are being used to spy on Britain's critical undersea cables. The Kremlin has also been blamed for arson, sabotage and assassinations in European nations.
Mr Streeting said: "Our adversaries' willingness to harm us is not new. What has changed is their capacity." He added: "By 2030 their force strength and war economy could put them in a position to attack. That gives us a little over 1,000 days to complete our mission: to be ready with our allies to fight and win. This Government will make sure it is mission accomplished."
Defence spending and the Be Ready campaign
The warning comes days after the government launched its 'Be Ready' campaign, advising households to stockpile non-perishable food, bottled water, and other essential items in the event of a cyber-attack or severe weather incident that could shut down critical national infrastructure.
Amid speculation over whether the government would commit to spending three percent of GDP on defence by 2030 in Wednesday's budget, Mr Streeting said a focus on war readiness was being lost 'amidst a fixation with percentages and dates.' He said: "This Government is already delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. I am 100 per cent confident that under this Labour Prime Minister and Chancellor we will meet our Nato spending target."
Exercise Rhino Titan tests airborne forces
His comments come as British and French troops took part in a wargame designed to show how NATO territory could be defended against an attack. The exercise involved one of the largest airborne operations in the past 20 years, with British and French paratroopers jumping from RAF transport planes over Germany.
Exercise Rhino Titan, held at the Sennelager military training centre in Germany, has been testing the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade against an enemy equipped with drones and electronic warfare, the kind of technology Russia could be expected to deploy. Some 2,500 troops were involved in the exercise, including 600 British and French paratroopers dropped from four RAF A400M Atlas aircraft.
Speaking separately afterwards, Mr Streeting said: "The threats we face in the 21st century require an updated, modern approach to warfare – and our adaptable armed forces are preparing accordingly. Alongside our French and German allies, this large-scale training exercise shows we can deliver rapid, large-scale airborne power anywhere it's needed to defend Nato territory. This combination of troops and specialised equipment is what is required to deter our adversaries and keep Britain and our allies safe."
Brigadier Ed Cartwright, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said: "We have been given a realistic challenge to defend NATO territory and pitted against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare, which is what we would face on the modern battlefield."
