"To Build, To Serve, To Fight": UK Defence Chief Calls for Whole-of-Society Response to Russian Threat

The UK military has issued a stark call to action, warning that the country needs more people ready to fight and work in the defense industry to prevent potential conflict with Russia.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, outlined a vision for a "whole-of-society" response. While emphasizing that a direct Russian attack remains a "remote chance," he warned that the era of hybrid warfare means the danger is already at our doorstep.

The Hybrid Threat is "Getting Worse"

Sir Richard highlighted that the UK is currently exposed to a daily onslaught of cyberattacks and hybrid threats. He pointed to a Russian spy ship recently accused of mapping undersea cables near UK waters as evidence of the evolving danger.

"We know that Russian agents are planning to carry out sabotage and have killed on our shores," he stated.

While Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was described as a tactical failure, Sir Richard warned against complacency. He noted that Russia possesses a "massive, increasingly technologically advanced, and now highly combat-experienced military."

A Call for "Sons and Daughters"

In one of the most poignant moments of his address, the Defence Chief made a direct appeal to the British public:

"Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans will all be able to play. To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our country entails."

The strategy involves making the UK a "harder target." This requires not just an increase in regular forces, cadets, and reserves, but a mobilization of national resilience involving universities, the oil and manufacturing industries, and even the NHS.

Closing the Skills Gap

A major component of this new defense strategy is industrial capacity. Sir Richard stressed that the UK needs to re-stock and re-arm not just for itself, but to support allies. To achieve this, there is an urgent need for school leavers and graduates to enter the defense sector.

Highlighting a skills deficit found in a recent Royal Academy of Engineering study, Sir Richard announced £50 million for new defense technical excellence colleges.

"We need defense and political leaders to explain the value of the industry to the country," he urged, calling on parents and schools to encourage careers in this vital sector.

With the government revealing plans for defense and security spending to rise to 5% of GDP by 2035, the UK is preparing for what could be the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.