Lyneham Lad
25th Apr 2024, 17:00
Article in The Times. (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/britain-considers-israel-style-iron-dome-for-missile-defence-d7jhqc6r0)
Chief of the defence staff reveals ‘live conversations’ on how Britain can shield itself from growing threats.British defence chiefs are having “live conversations” about developing an “Iron Dome” missile defence system, the head of the armed forces has said.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, revealed that discussions were taking place about how best to protect the country from attack.
Israel’s short-range Iron Dome system is the world’s best-known interceptor system and has proved vital against incoming rockets (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/iran-launches-drone-attack-on-israel-8hmvt2mll), saving thousands of lives.
The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down projectiles with help from a radar that detects rockets and calculates their threat level. It has destroyed thousands of incoming rockets fired by Iran and militant groups in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons, and James Heappey, the former armed forces minister, have called for Rishi Sunak (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/topic/rishi-sunak?page=1) to install an Iron Dome-style missile defence system for the UK.
Asked if the UK needed such a system, Radakin told Andrew Marr on LBC: “That will be needed in the future, that’s a live conversation. We’ve got certain capabilities at the moment that help to protect the UK and to help our forces when they’re stationed abroad. We don’t have the same kind of system that Israel has, but we don’t live in the same type of neighbourhood that Israel lives in. So, that’s why it’s very different. And we also are part of this big alliance.
“But when you look at the threats that are out there, far more longer-range missiles, far more longer-range one-way attack drones, much easier ways of delivering those — that’s why we’ve got various initiatives, both for ourselves as the UK but also with our European allies, about how we might better defend ourselves in the future, conscious that those threats are probably going to increase.”
Military chiefs in the UK have been discussing ways the military could defend the country from similar missile attacks in future, especially from hypersonic weapons being developed by Russia and China.
Some intelligence experts believe that the way to stop advanced weaponry will be to take out the bases from which they are fired because by the time they are in the sky it could be too late. It is understood spies inside defence intelligence are examining possible targets for future wars.
However, the UK is also looking at building up its capabilities to defend the skies at home once missiles are already on their way. Experts at the Royal United Services Institute said in a recent report that air defence had been a low priority for European Nato nations for decades because they have had uncontested air superiority.
At present the Ministry of Defence relies on the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 Destroyers to shoot missiles out of sky, although in recent years many of them have been out of action for prolonged periods for maintenance or repair (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/five-of-navys-six-type-45-destroyers-are-out-of-action-8ttzrxnz3).
Others are often deployed overseas. HMS Diamond has been in the Red Sea (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-alarm-sounded-hms-diamond-was-under-houthi-attack-vjsptwkkd)defending ships from drones and missiles fired by Houthi rebels based in Yemen.
RAF aircraft can also provide defences against cruise and some ballistic missiles at home but such assets are likely to be overstretched during wartime.
Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said this week that a new DragonFire laser system (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/laser-weapon-aerial-target-porton-down-xzzwn00ls) could be deployed in the UK to defend from incoming threats. The laser system, which can shoot down drones and missiles and even defeat enemy sensors, is expected to enter service in three years.
Radakin also revealed that Ukraine was set to increase long-range attacks inside Russia as it received new weapons from the West. He told the Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/06a48bab-2eb6-4cc4-9d9f-e72a22ba5d7e)that an influx of military aid would aim to help Kyiv shape the war “in much stronger ways”.
“As Ukraine gains more capabilities for the long-range fight … its ability to continue deep operations will [increasingly] become a feature” of the war, Radakin said. “They definitely have an effect.”
Well, at least someone is thinking about it...
Chief of the defence staff reveals ‘live conversations’ on how Britain can shield itself from growing threats.British defence chiefs are having “live conversations” about developing an “Iron Dome” missile defence system, the head of the armed forces has said.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, revealed that discussions were taking place about how best to protect the country from attack.
Israel’s short-range Iron Dome system is the world’s best-known interceptor system and has proved vital against incoming rockets (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/iran-launches-drone-attack-on-israel-8hmvt2mll), saving thousands of lives.
The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down projectiles with help from a radar that detects rockets and calculates their threat level. It has destroyed thousands of incoming rockets fired by Iran and militant groups in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons, and James Heappey, the former armed forces minister, have called for Rishi Sunak (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/topic/rishi-sunak?page=1) to install an Iron Dome-style missile defence system for the UK.
Asked if the UK needed such a system, Radakin told Andrew Marr on LBC: “That will be needed in the future, that’s a live conversation. We’ve got certain capabilities at the moment that help to protect the UK and to help our forces when they’re stationed abroad. We don’t have the same kind of system that Israel has, but we don’t live in the same type of neighbourhood that Israel lives in. So, that’s why it’s very different. And we also are part of this big alliance.
“But when you look at the threats that are out there, far more longer-range missiles, far more longer-range one-way attack drones, much easier ways of delivering those — that’s why we’ve got various initiatives, both for ourselves as the UK but also with our European allies, about how we might better defend ourselves in the future, conscious that those threats are probably going to increase.”
Military chiefs in the UK have been discussing ways the military could defend the country from similar missile attacks in future, especially from hypersonic weapons being developed by Russia and China.
Some intelligence experts believe that the way to stop advanced weaponry will be to take out the bases from which they are fired because by the time they are in the sky it could be too late. It is understood spies inside defence intelligence are examining possible targets for future wars.
However, the UK is also looking at building up its capabilities to defend the skies at home once missiles are already on their way. Experts at the Royal United Services Institute said in a recent report that air defence had been a low priority for European Nato nations for decades because they have had uncontested air superiority.
At present the Ministry of Defence relies on the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 Destroyers to shoot missiles out of sky, although in recent years many of them have been out of action for prolonged periods for maintenance or repair (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/five-of-navys-six-type-45-destroyers-are-out-of-action-8ttzrxnz3).
Others are often deployed overseas. HMS Diamond has been in the Red Sea (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-alarm-sounded-hms-diamond-was-under-houthi-attack-vjsptwkkd)defending ships from drones and missiles fired by Houthi rebels based in Yemen.
RAF aircraft can also provide defences against cruise and some ballistic missiles at home but such assets are likely to be overstretched during wartime.
Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said this week that a new DragonFire laser system (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/laser-weapon-aerial-target-porton-down-xzzwn00ls) could be deployed in the UK to defend from incoming threats. The laser system, which can shoot down drones and missiles and even defeat enemy sensors, is expected to enter service in three years.
Radakin also revealed that Ukraine was set to increase long-range attacks inside Russia as it received new weapons from the West. He told the Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/06a48bab-2eb6-4cc4-9d9f-e72a22ba5d7e)that an influx of military aid would aim to help Kyiv shape the war “in much stronger ways”.
“As Ukraine gains more capabilities for the long-range fight … its ability to continue deep operations will [increasingly] become a feature” of the war, Radakin said. “They definitely have an effect.”
Well, at least someone is thinking about it...