A blueprint to get Britain ‘war ready’ to fight Vladimir Putin has revealed this country’s vulnerabilities in the event of a major conflict.
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR), published today, includes a chilling list of the potential effects on the UK’s way of life. But, despite these threats, top brass are expected to save money.
The SDR, which has recommended an overhaul of the UK’s Armed Forces, also lays bare Britain’s overseas dependencies and threats.
In the event of war, Britain would be subject to attacks on its military bases at home and abroad, long-range drone and cruise missile sorties, cyber-attacks crippling national infrastructure and disruptions to economic interests and international trade routes.
The report reveals 95 per cent of the UK’s data is carried by undersea cables that are vulnerable to attack, and Britain relies on imports for 46 per cent of its food.
It says: ‘Undersea pipelines and data cables are critical for sustaining daily national life. The maritime domain is increasingly vulnerable. The Royal Navy must be prepared to deter maritime incidents similar to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the cutting of undersea data cables in UK and international waters’.
In recent years as much as 77 per cent of the UK’s gas imports have come from Norway. So, if the Nordic state was compromised, Britain’s energy supplies would be cut.
