Preparations for potential military conflict with Russia covertly underway in Britain - The Telegraph
The UK's covert military preparedness takes a bold leap as the government revamps its "homeland defense strategy," specifically bracing for a potential attack from Russia. A team of officials has been assigned to rework 20-year-old contingency plans designed for extraordinary circumstances that would thrust the nation into a warlike state following an aggression by the Kremlin.
The updated blueprint will detail the government's response to a declared war, encompassing secure bunkers for protecting the government and the royal family, continued broadcasting of essential services, and stockpiling crucial resources. According to sources, there's a looming fear that the UK could be not only outmatched militarily by Russia and its allies on the battlefield but also ill-equipped and ill-defended on home soil.
The Kremlin has consistently threatened the UK due to its backing of Ukraine. Experts caution that the country is exposed to an attack on its vital national infrastructure, including gas terminals, underwater cables, nuclear power plants, and transport hubs. The new plan accounts for diverse threats such as conventional missiles, nuclear warheads, and cyberattacks (initially considered a minor risk back in 2005 when the last significant update was made to the plan).
Developed by the Cabinet Office's Resilience Unit, the updated plan offers guidance for the Prime Minister and cabinet on managing the government during wartime and when they should seek refuge in the bunker located in Downing Street or remote locations outside London. In times of crisis, age-old strategies for managing transportation networks, courts, postal systems, and phone lines are expected to be revived.
In a complex scenario, a hostile power could launch missiles and cyberattacks simultaneously against the national infrastructure. A risk assessment paper published in January warns that such an attack could lead to civilian and emergency service personnel casualties, cause substantial economic damage, and disrupt critical services. Military officials have urged the UK to develop its own version of Israel's "Iron Dome" system for missile defense.
Last month, a representative from the Royal Air Force stated that if the opening salvos of war in Ukraine had taken place in the UK, Russian missiles would have breeched British defenses and destroyed infrastructure targets. UK officials are particularly worried about gas terminals and the country's five operational nuclear power plants, which, if struck, may release radioactive materials, causing significant long-term repercussions for safety, health, the environment, and the economy.
The new UK plan is modeled after the "Book of War," a clandestine Cold War document that provided government response instructions in the event of a nuclear strike, later made public by the National Archives. The "Book of War" displayed plans for relocating the Prime Minister and key government members to a bunker in Cotswolds in the event of a London bombing, while Queen Elizabeth II would take to the royal yacht.
Planning is underway alongside the preparation for the publication of the Strategic Defense Review, which will assess the state of the armed forces. The UK's defense ministry has announced a review, which will include enhancements to internal security and improvements to anti-missile defense systems, as well as evaluating military readiness after years of force reduction.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, even though further funding details are still unclear. The plan remains classified, mirroring the secretive nature of the Cold War "War Book," and is unlikely to be released to the public in the near future or ever.
[1] Cyberattacks Increasing Annually: [Link to enrichment data][2] Hybrid Warfare Risks: [Link to enrichment data][3] MI5 Investigates State-linked Cyber Threats: [Link to enrichment data][4] Update to Homeland Defense Plan: [Link to enrichment data][5] Defense Review and Anti-Missile Defense: [Link to enrichment data]
- The "Book of War," a Cold War document, serves as a model for the updated UK plan, which provides instructions for the government's response to a nuclear strike, now focusing on a potential attack from Russia. [update to homeland defense plan]
- Against the rising annual cyberattacks, the UK's defense ministry is planning enhancements to internal security and improvements to anti-missile defense systems, as evidenced in the Strategic Defense Review currently underway. [defense review and anti-missile defense]
- MI5 investigates state-linked cyber threats, posing additional risks in a hybrid warfare scenario, as experts warn that the UK is exposed to attacks on its national infrastructure, such as gas terminals and nuclear power plants. [hybrid warfare risks, MI5 investigates state-linked cyber threats]
- The new plan, classified like the secretive Cold War "War Book," outlines guidance for managing the UK government during wartime, detailing the use of secure bunkers, continued broadcasting of essential services, and stockpiling of crucial resources. [updated plan offers guidance for managing the government during wartime]
- In the event of a declared war, the plan considers diverse threats like conventional missiles, nuclear warheads, and cyberattacks, strategies dating back to 2005 when the last significant update was made. [new plan accounts for diverse threats such as conventional missiles, nuclear warheads, and cyberattacks]
