Britain’s national security is not the responsibility of the military alone, the new chief of the Armed Forces has said.
Sir Richard Knighton said security also requires the ‘support of a society that understands’ what is at stake in an increasingly ‘dangerous world’.
The new Chief of Defence staff made the comments as he confirmed British troops and equipment had been sent to Belgium following a series of drone incursions thought to have been carried out by Russia.
Belgium’s main airport, Zavantem, was closed temporarily on Thursday evening after drones were spotted nearby.
The flying devices were also seen in other locations, including a military base, and come after a string of sightings over European airports, including in Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Sir Richard told the BBC that his Belgian counterpart had asked for assistance to deal with the incursions.
It was not confirmed they had been from Russia, though it was ‘plausible’ they had been ordered by the Kremlin, he added.
Roughly 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers had faced disruption, and the carrier said that cancelling or diverting dozens of flights had led to ‘considerable costs.’
Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, was closed on November 6 following drone sightings
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of defence staff, confirmed the UK was sending troops and equipment to Belgium
Sir Richard, who took over as head of the UK military in September, warned of an ‘increasingly uncertain world’ and cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as evidence European nations were not as safe as they once were.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he added: ‘This conflict reminds us that peace is never guaranteed. It (the UK) must be defended, and sometimes at great cost.
‘Whether deterring aggression on Nato’s eastern flank, supporting hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean, or protecting critical undersea cables at home, we can be proud of our armed forces and what they do for the nation.
‘But defence is not the responsibility of the military alone. It is a national endeavour. It requires investment, innovation, and the support of a society that understands the stakes.’
His comments were echoed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who told the newspaper the country was ‘losing a sense of who we are and what we’re fighting for.’
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, pictured laying a wreath on Remembrance Sunday, said Britain was ‘losing a sense of who we are and what we’re fighting for’
Ms Badenoch said ‘a slow erosion of pride in our schools, our institutions, even parts of our media where the story of Britain is too often told through shame’ was affecting national morale.
Just ten per cent of those aged between 18 and 28 would be prepared to go to war for the country, she added.
‘A nation is only a nation when people are prepared to defend it. And it is both tragic and concerning that many people in Britain today no longer feel that call,’ Ms Badenoch said.
The government has announced defence spending would rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament.
