THE Armed Forces chief last night urged everyone in Britain to “step up” in the face of major threats.
Sir Richard Knighton made his call in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
His lecture at the Royal United Services Institute in London was set to warn: “The situation is more dangerous than I have known during my career and the response requires more than simply strengthening our armed forces.
“A new era for defence doesn’t just mean our military and government stepping up – as we are – it means our whole nation stepping up.
“Our armed forces always need to be ready to fight and win – that’s why readiness is such a priority.
“But deterrence is also about our resilience to these threats, it’s about how we harness all our national power, from universities, to industry, the rail network to the NHS.
“It’s about our defence and resilience being a higher national priority for all of us. An ‘all-in’ mentality.
“And that will require people who are not soldiers, sailors or aviators to nevertheless invest their skills – and money – in innovation and problem solving on the nation’s behalf.”
Speaking about the threat posed by Russia, Sir Richard added: “The war in Ukraine shows Putin’s willingness to target neighbouring states, including their civilian populations, potentially with such novel and destructive weapons, threatens the whole of NATO, including the UK.
“The Russian leadership has made clear that it wishes to challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy NATO, in former President Medvedev’s words, aspiring to ‘the disappearance of Ukraine and the disappearance of NATO – preferably both.”
On defence spending, Sir Richard said: “I find myself in a position that none of my predecessors during my career have faced, looking at the prospect of the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. And that is because the price of peace is increasing.”
He was also expected to announce £50million for new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, which will support thousands of short courses so that defence employers can train new hires and existing staff more quickly.
A DEGREE IN DRONES
Excl by Jerome Starkey
THE Army is backing Britain’s first degree course in drones.
The Masters of Engineering will teach students to design, build and fight with the weapons.
The three-year course in Hereford will focus on “autonomous systems” that can find, track and kill their targets alone.
Armed Forces minister Al Carns said: “This new era of threat needs a new era for defence skills.”
