Britain's most senior military commander has delivered an exceptionally stark warning, stating the nation's "sons and daughters" must be prepared to fight as the threat from a resurgent and battle-hardened Russia grows.
A 'Dangerous' Trend and a Call for National Resilience
In a sobering intervention, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, declared the current security situation more perilous than at any point in his career. He emphasised that while the UK's armed forces remain the first line of defence alongside NATO allies, the entire country must now play a part in rebuilding national resilience against "an array of real, physical threats."
Echoing recent comments from France's top general, Sir Richard agreed that societies must confront the possibility of sacrifice. "Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans… will all have a role to play," he stated. "To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means."
The Hardening Russian Military Machine
The defence chief painted a concerning picture of Russia's accelerating military power, despite its ongoing war in Ukraine. He revealed that Russian armed forces now exceed 1.1 million personnel, with defence spending consuming over 7% of GDP—a sum that has more than doubled in a decade.
"We should be under no illusions that Russia has a massive, increasingly technically sophisticated, and now, highly combat-experienced, military," Sir Richard warned. He highlighted Moscow's development of destabilising new weapons systems, including nuclear-armed torpedoes and space-based nuclear capabilities, concluding that Russia's "hard power is something to fear."
A Stark Spending Contrast and the Need for Public Awareness
The warning comes amid a clear disparity in defence investment. While Russia pours resources into its military, the British Army stands at just over 70,000 soldiers. The UK government is committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, up from 2.3%, but this lags behind allies like Poland (4.2%) and Germany's target of 3.5% by 2029.
Sir Richard stressed that the threat to the UK, while not sharing a land border with Russia, is fundamentally similar to that facing nations like Germany. He argued that public awareness is crucial to drive government and societal action, citing media efforts like the Sky News and Tortoise podcast 'The Wargame' as examples of stimulating this vital conversation.
He acknowledged defence analysts currently rate the chance of a direct Russian attack on the UK as "remote"—at up to 5%—but cautioned "this does not mean the chances are zero." The critical issue, he insisted, is the worsening trend. "What really matters is the trend. Are the chances of conflict growing? And here, I think the evidence is clear that the trend, from Russia in particular, is worsening, and that is the key argument for action."
