‘Sons and daughters’ of Britain will ‘have role’ in war with Russia | UK | News
Britain’s “sons and daughters” must be ready to fight against Russia in the event of an attack, the British Armed Forces Commander has warned. Chief of the Defense Staff Sir Richard Knighton said Russia was a growing threat to the UK and the situation was “more dangerous than I have known in my entire career”.
He called on “people who are not soldiers, sailors or aviators to nevertheless invest their skills – and money” on building up national resilience, The Independent reported.
Sir Richard said: “Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans. …We will all have a part to play. To build. To serve. And to fight if necessary. And more families will know what it means to sacrifice for our nation.”
“That’s why it’s so important that we explain the changing threat and the need to stay ahead of it.”
In a speech to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on Monday, Sir Richard said readiness was a priority because the country’s armed forces must always be “ready to fight and win”.
He added: “But deterrence is also about our resilience against these threats – it is about how we use all our national power, from universities to industry, from the rail network to the NHS.
“This is about our defense and resilience being a higher national priority for all of us. An ‘all-in’ mentality.”
“And this will require people who are not soldiers, sailors or airmen to still invest their skills and money in innovation and problem solving on behalf of the nation.”
He said Russia’s clear aim was to destroy NATO by announcing £50 million for new defense technical excellence colleges providing short courses to ensure faster access to training for new and existing personnel in the defense sector.
MI6’s new head, Blaise Metreweli, warned in his first public speech in the post that Britain faces an “age of uncertainty” at a time when Britain is already on the front lines against Russia and the rules of engagement are being rewritten by hostile actors.
Earlier this month the head of the Royal Navy warned that Britain must “step up” on defense as Russia continues to spend billions of dollars on naval capabilities or risk losing its advantage in the Atlantic.
Last week, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said Europe was “Russia’s next target” and urged countries to prepare for “the scale of war our grandparents endured.”
