TOBIAS ELLWOOD: Putin’s hypersonic missile strike in Ukraine should be a resounding wake-up call
Putin’s recent use of an advanced hypersonic missile in Ukraine should be a loud wake-up call across Whitehall.
These new advanced, long-range air-launched weapons travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and can evade traditional defense mechanisms by zigzagging unpredictably and targeting multiple points of impact.
They represent a quantum leap in offensive military technology – one that should keep those charged with defending British airspace awake at night.
These weapons systems, which were fired into Ukraine last week and into Israel by Iran earlier this year, expose the growing vulnerability of countries without dedicated advanced air defense systems.
But unfortunately, Britain is woefully unprotected against massive drone and missile threats, including conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
For example, compared to Washington DC, where all its defense systems were at the disposal of the US capital in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, London is almost a ‘sitting duck’.
Since the end of the Cold War, successive governments have dropped British guard, assuming that long-range missile attacks targeting our cities and key military installations were a thing of the past.
Not anymore.
Former Tory MP and Defense Secretary Tobias Ellwood says Putin’s new missile represents a quantum leap in offensive military technology – one that should keep those charged with defending British airspace awake at night
It is imperative that we establish what should have been done by now: an Israeli-style ‘iron dome’ system around London and other key targets capable of taking down these new weapons, and any other weapons that Putin plan could be to unleash.
It is imperative that we establish what should have been done by now: an Israeli-style ‘iron dome’ system around London and other key targets capable of taking down these new weapons, as well as any other weapons that Putin plan could be to unleash.
The troubling reality is that our defenses are lagging behind the rapid progress of potential adversaries.
Reports indicate that the Russian missile used inert warheads – without explosives – but still delivered enough 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 exaggerate.
Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling is intended to sow fear and hesitation.
If Putin were to cross the nuclear threshold, he would face immediate global condemnation, alienate key allies such as China and India and provoke a devastating conventional military response from NATO powers including Britain and the United States.
Such an act would likely wipe out Russian ground forces in Ukraine and negate any potential diplomatic gains.
Nevertheless, Moscow’s willingness to deploy advanced weapons underlines the need for vigilance.
Putin warns of global escalation after Western missile attacks on Russia, threatening ‘decisive and mirrored’ response and unveiling ‘unstoppable’ Oreshnik (Hazel) missile
The Russian leader fired the new Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, after Ukraine fired US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow long-range missiles deep into Russia.
Six people were killed and at least a dozen injured in a Russian-launched Iranian Shahed kamikaze drone attack on Hlukhiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Moscow with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and representatives of the defense industry
The world is becoming more dangerous, not less, and it is wise to assume that London and other major British cities could be targeted in the next five years.
We are witnessing a broader trend where threats are no longer confined to remote battlefields, but are increasingly targeting civilian and economic hubs – including our own.
In these circumstances, Britain must act decisively to modernize its air defense infrastructure.
The technology is already available.
Our Navy’s Type 45 destroyers, equipped with the world-class Sea Viper air defense system, the RAF with its AMRAAM missiles and the Army’s Sky Saber systems provide a strong foundation.
Currently operational in Poland, Sky Saber is an impressive system, but designed for point defense: protecting a building, headquarters or logistics hub, not a salvo of hypersonic missiles targeting an entire city. And currently there are only half a dozen Sky Saber units in use.
Overall, six destroyers, too few RAF jets and a handful of Sky Sabers are insufficient for the layered defense that the new threat assessment requires.
Whether it is state actors with advanced missiles or non-state actors deploying swarms of kamikaze drones, our defenses need to be significantly expanded.
All further justification for a shift to 2.5 percent of GDP spending on defense, investments in our own country’s security and deepening cooperation with NATO allies to develop interoperable 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 Defense Secretary from June 2017 to July 2019.
