As journalists have learned, some members of the Alliance are dissatisfied with the state of the UK's air defense, as it has almost no means of protection against ballistic missiles.
Points of attention
- There is virtually no protection against ballistic missiles in Britain.
- This problem, which no one is in a hurry to solve, has provoked outrage among NATO members.
- The Alliance recommends that its members increase spending on the development of ground-based air defense systems.
Britain is currently the weak link in NATO
According to insiders of journalists in the British defense sector, the bloc is no longer hiding its indignation at the fact that London is not making the planned contribution to defense systems to protect Europe from long-range missile attacks.
Moreover, it recently became known that the country does not have ground-based air defense assets to protect critical infrastructure or populated areas from ballistic missiles.
What is important to understand is that during the Cold War, Britain was preparing to defend against nuclear-tipped missiles, so it did not prioritize other air defense systems.
The reason Britain has very weak air defense is because for 30 years no one thought we needed it, a senior British defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a statement.
Britain is at risk
As of today, it is no secret to anyone that the country can be attacked from "any direction" if a ballistic missile is launched from a ship, submarine, or aircraft.
"In 15 years, a ballistic missile could hit Britain from anywhere in the world. But it's a very expensive problem to solve," said another insider.
It is worth noting that this year, the Alliance, within the framework of its recommendations to member countries to increase defense spending, will emphasize the development of ground-based air defense systems (SBAD).
Interestingly, against this background, official London is concerned that excessive attention to air defense within NATO's collective defense could lead to a diversion of funds from Britain's more specific needs.
