UK has no defence plan despite threat from Putin's Russia

The UK has nary program to support the federation successful the lawsuit of war, including however to mobilise the National Health Service to woody with wide casualties, the caput of the subject has revealed.

The admittance by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton - confirming a study by Sky News from astir 2 years agone - came contempt mounting warnings astir the menace of struggle with Russia and arsenic Donald Trump makes hostile noises astir seizing Greenland.

Answering wide-ranging questions from MPs connected Monday, the main of the defence unit besides confirmed that the Ministry of Defence lacks backing to screen its instrumentality programme arsenic good arsenic further ambitions acceptable retired successful a sweeping reappraisal of defence published successful June.

He refused to accidental whether helium was facing a fund shortfall and steered distant from utilizing the connection "cuts", but said that reducing oregon slowing subject programmes were among the options being considered.

Air Chief Marshal Knighton, astatine times sounding frustrated, told members of the defence prime committee not to "put words successful my mouth" arsenic helium was pressed connected reports that helium had warned the prime minister earlier Christmas that defence has a £28bn spread successful its fund implicit the adjacent 4 years and would beryllium required to marque important cuts without much money.

He said: "If we wanted to bash everything that's presently successful the programme and bash each the other things successful the SDR [Strategic Defence Review], could we bash that with the fund that we've got? The reply is no."

No modern-day War Book

The astir stunning revelation during a two-hour grilling was his confirmation that the UK has yet to revive a modern mentation of the Government War Book.

Drawn up during the First World War and maintained until the crook of the century, this was a broad acceptable of plans for the full state - from the equipped forces, hospitals and the constabulary to manufacture schools and adjacent creation galleries - to modulation from bid to war.

It was shelved aft the Soviet Union collapsed - arsenic discussed successful The Wargame podcast.

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But, contempt the instrumentality of struggle to Europe pursuing Russia's archetypal penetration of Ukraine successful 2014 and past its full-scale onslaught successful 2022, the UK has yet to gully up a caller defence program - thing each NATO subordinate states are required to maintain.

The transatlantic confederation is the cornerstone of UK defence and information argumentation - with allies consenting to mobilise successful the defence of each other. But each federation is besides meant to beryllium capable to support itself successful the archetypal instance.

"We don't person a implicit nationalist defence program yet," Air Chief Marshal Knighton said.

Mike Martin, a Liberal Democrat subordinate of the defence prime committee, asked him if we should person one. He responded: "Yeah, absolutely. And the authorities is committed to doing that."

Why does the UK not person a plan?

Pushed connected wherefore the UK does not person one, the defence main said: "I deliberation that it is simply a manifestation of the bid dividend.

"One of the astir evident is that since the extremity of the Cold War, we person not prioritised those matters. And truthful arsenic a consequence, the government, for galore years, of galore hues, has not focused its efforts connected processing that benignant of plan.

"I'm pleased to accidental that partially arsenic a effect of what's successful the Strategic Defence Review, that is changing."

As for erstwhile specified a nationalist defence program would beryllium ready, Air Chief Marshal Knighton said this was a occupation that was being overseen by the Cabinet Office due to the fact that it involves the full of government.

However, helium said that the subject constituent - which the Ministry of Defence is liable for - would beryllium finalised this year.

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He besides said that determination is nary program to mobilise civilian doctors and nurses arsenic good arsenic hospitals to dainty wounded troops and civilians successful the lawsuit of a warfare successful the UK oregon anyplace successful Europe - a situation that would enactment a immense strain connected an already creaking wellness service.

"We don't person a holistic, nationalist program for however we would mobilise the National Health Service successful times of all-out warfare successful Europe," helium said.

"Again, this was a portion of enactment being developed by the Cabinet Office, and determination should beryllium much details evolving successful the adjacent 12 to 18 months."