Putin’s recent use of an advance hypersonic missile in Ukraine should serve as a resounding wake-up call across Whitehall.
These new advanced, long-range, air-launched weapons travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and can evade traditional defences by zigzagging unpredictably and targeting multiple points of impact.
They represent a profound leap in offensive military technology – one that should keep those charged with defending the UK’s skies awake at night.
Fired at Ukraine last week and earlier this year against Israel by Iran, these weapon systems expose the growing vulnerabilities of nations without dedicated cutting-edge air defence systems.
But sadly, Britain is woefully unprotected against mass drone and missile threats, including conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
For example, compared to Washington DC, with all its defence systems available to the US capital in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, London is almost a sitting duck.
Since the end of the Cold War, successive governments have dropped Britain’s guard, assuming long-range missile strikes targeting our cities and key military installations were a thing of the past.
No longer.
It is imperative that we establish what’s now overdue – an Israeli-style ‘iron dome’ system around London and other major targets capable of downing these new weapons and any other arms that Putin might intend to unleash.
The unsettling reality is that our defences are lagging behind the rapid advancements of potential adversaries.
Reports suggest that Russia’s missile deployed inert warheads – lacking explosives -yet delivered sufficient kinetic energy to cause significant damage. The implication is chilling: these missiles are likely designed for nuclear payloads rather than conventional strikes.
Let’s not overreact.
Putin’s nuclear sabre-rattling is calculated to instil fear and hesitation.
Were Putin to cross the nuclear threshold, he would face immediate global condemnation, alienate key allies like China and India, and provoke a devastating conventional military response from NATO powers, including the UK and the United States.
Such an act would likely wipe out Russian ground forces in Ukraine and obliterate any potential diplomatic gains.
Nonetheless, Moscow’s willingness to deploy advanced weaponry highlights the need for vigilance.
The world is becoming more dangerous, not less, and it is prudent to assume that London or other major UK cities could be targeted in the next five years.
We are witnessing a broader trend where threats are no longer confined to distant battlefields but increasingly aimed at civilian and economic hubs—including ours.
In this environment, the UK must act decisively to modernize its air defence infrastructure.
The technology is already available.
Our Navy’s Type 45 destroyers, equipped with the world-class Sea Viper air defence system, the RAF with its AMRAAM missiles and the Army’s Sky Sabre systems provide strong foundations.
Sky Sabre, currently operational in Poland, is an impressive system but designed for point defence – protecting a building, HQ, or logistics hub, not a salvo of hypersonic missiles targeting an entire city. And presently there are just half a dozen Sky Sabre units in operation.
Overall, six destroyers, too few RAF jets and a handful of Sky Sabre are insufficient for the layered defence the new threat picture demands.
Whether facing state actors with advanced missiles or non-state actors employing swarms of kamikaze drones, our defences need to expand significantly.
All further justification for a shifting to 2.5 per cent of GPD spend on defence, investing in our homeland security and deepening collaboration with NATO allies to develop inter-operable systems with greater space awareness.
The time for action is now – otherwise no one will sleep well at night.
Former Tory MP Tobias Ellwood was a Defence Minister from June 2017 to July 2019.
