Latest news with #PatrickSanders
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Battle Lines: ‘Prepare for war with Russia by 2030'
General Sir Patrick Sanders has a stark warning: Britain must prepare for war with Russia within five years and start building bunkers and better air defences. Speaking exclusively to our Defence Editor Danielle Sheridan, the former head of the British army points to the Nordic countries and says we need to start taking a leaf out of their book. He also discusses why an Iron Dome couldn't work in the UK, his thoughts on the recent Israel-Iran war, and why he didn't encourage his son to join the army. General Sanders stood down as head of the British army last summer. The former rifleman had been tipped to be the next Chief of the Defence Staff but fell out of favour with the Government for being too outspoken about the extent of troop cuts. Our defence editor Danielle interviewed him in his garden at his home in rural Wiltshire, with his blonde Labrador Fargo by his side.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Britain faces war with Putin's Russia within next five years, warns ex head of British Army
BRITAIN faces war with Russia within the next five years, the previous head of the British Army has warned. Former Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders, 59, said the UK must accept that armed conflict with Vladimir Putin by 2030 is a "realistic possibility". 2 Gen Sir Patrick, who retired from the military last year, cautioned that the Army is currently too small to survive more than the first few months of such a war. And he added that he did not know how many more "signals" ministers needed to realise it must strengthen the nation's defences. He said: 'If Russia stops fighting in Ukraine, you get to a position where within a matter of months they will have the capability to conduct a limited attack on a Nato member that we will be responsible for supporting, and that happens by 2030. 'I don't know what more signals we need for us to realise that if we don't act now and we don't act in the next five years to increase our resilience … I don't know what more is needed." The former rifleman fell out of favour with the Government while leading the Army for being seen as too outspoken against troop cuts. It was announced under the previous government that the Army would be reduced from just over 80,000 personnel as of October 2020 to 72,500 by 2025. Gen Sir Patrick said: 'At the moment, the British Army is too small to survive more than the first few months of an intensive engagement, and we're going to need more. 'Now the first place you go to are the reserves, but the reserves are also too small. "Thirty thousand reserves still only takes you to an army of 100,000. "You know, I joined an Army in the Cold War that was about 140,000 regulars, and on top of that, a much larger reserve.' Nato jets scrambled as Putin launches one of war's biggest attacks in Ukraine Gen Sir Patrick said he was disappointed the Strategic Defence Review published last month 'didn't touch on this at all'. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves last month committed to the defence budget rising to 2.6 per cent of the UK's GDP by April 2027. And PM Sir Keir Starmer pledged the UK would spend 5 per cent of GDP on national security within 10 years, with 3.5 per cent of that amount going to core defence matters. But Sir Gen Patrick said that during his time at the head of the Army there had been unsuccessful 'conversations' with the government about building bomb shelters for civilians and underground command centres for the military to prepare for an attack. He said: 'It always came down to a conversation of it being too costly and not a high enough priority and the threat didn't feel sufficiently imminent or serious to make it worth it. 'Finland has bomb shelters for 4.5 million people. It can survive as a government and as a society under direct missile and air attacks from Russia. We don't have that." Despite the biggest threat coming from Russia, Gen Sir Patrick also warned that Iran could act through proxies 'to attack British interests in the UK'. 2
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Britain must start building bomb shelters NOW to prepare for war with Russia in next five years, says ex-Army head
Britain must start building bomb shelters immediately to prepare the nation for a potential war with Russia in the next five years. That's the chilling warning issued last night by the former head of the British Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders. Gen Sir Patrick, who stood down as Chief of the General Staff last summer, fears a clash with Putin by 2030 was a 'realistic possibility'. But the retired defence chief claimed the nation was woefully unprepared for the prospect of missiles and drones raining down on its cities. In a bleak assessment of the threat now posed by Moscow, Sir Patrick urged ministers to take action and ramp up Britain's national defences. Speaking to the Telegraph, the retired Army boss said it was critical the nation started to construct a network of bomb shelters capable of protecting millions of civilians. 'If Russia stops fighting in Ukraine, you get to a position where within a matter of months they will have the capability to conduct a limited attack on a Nato member that we will be responsible for supporting, and that happens by 2030,' he said. Sir Patrick said that during his time as Army chief, discussions with the Government about constructing civilian bomb shelters and underground command centres for military use had been dismissed as too costly or low priority. He claimed the concerns were swept aside because the 'threat didn't feel sufficiently imminent or serious to make it worth it'. But he said the landscape had dramatically changed in recent years, as he issued his starkest plea for action yet. 'I don't know what more signals we need for us to realise that if we don't act now and we don't act in the next five years to increase our resilience… I don't know what more is needed,' he told the Telegraph. Citing Finland as an example, he added: 'Finland has bomb shelters for 4.5million people. It can survive as a government and as a society under direct missile and air attacks from Russia. We don't have that.' Sir Patrick's comments come amid concerns the UK does not have enough military firepower to fend off a missile bombardment similar to those seen in Ukraine, Israel and Iran in recent months. Speaking from his Wiltshire garden while smoking an Epicure No 2 cigar alongside his labrador Fargo, the General insisted Britain did not need an Israeli-style 'Iron Dome' air defence missile system. As well as calling for a new network of national bomb shelters, the former military chief also lambasted the shrinking size of the British Army. At the moment, the number of regular soldiers stands at about 72,500 - which is the smallest standing army since the Napoleonic War. Meanwhile, the country has about 30,000 part-time reservists, who could bulk out the total number of troops in the army to around 100,000. But Sir Patrick said this was nowhere near enough, warning the army is currently 'too small to survive more than the first few months of an intensive engagement'. Sir Patrick had previously been barred from giving a speech warning that conscription could be required in the event of a major war, amid concern from ministers it would terrify the public. Likewise, the former Army boss said Labour's latest Strategic Defence Review 'didn't touch this at all' and failed to address the manpower issues facing the military. Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowed to increase defence spending to 2.6 per cent GDP by April 2027. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to drive military spending even higher, following pleas by US President Donald Trump for Nato allies to 'do more '. The PM has now committed to spending five per cent of GDP on national security within 10 years - including 3.5 per cent on core defence. However, he has come under fire for not yet setting a clear timeline of how and when this will be achieved. Sir Patrick's comments come after Nato chief Mark Rutte warned last week a simultaneous military strike by China and Russia could plunge the world into a devastating new global conflict. In a bleak assessment, the former Dutch Prime Minister suggested Chinese leader Xi Jinping could attempt to seize Taiwan while urging Vladimir Putin to launch a parallel attack on Nato territory - potentially sparking World War Three. This morning it emerged Nato was forced to scramble fighter jets after Vladimir Putin launched a fresh wave of deadly drone and bomber strikes on Ukraine. Russia staged the most intense attacks of the war on the west of the country - with estimates suggesting up to 30 missiles and 700 military drones were unleashed. Two people were confirmed killed in Chernivtsi, close to the Romanian border, with at least 18 wounded in the overnight strikes which yet again targeted civilians. Acrid smoke could be seen lingering over the city following the strikes and rescue workers were pictured inspecting burnt-out cars and rubble. Putin used his nuclear-capable Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers to hammer Ukraine in what was already the most intense week of the war for kamikaze drone strikes. Russia targeted major cities Lviv and Lutsk as well as Chernivtsi in the assault on western Ukraine.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-British Army chief says conflict with Russia a ‘realistic possibility'
General Sir Patrick Sanders, the former head of the British Army, has warned that the UK must prepare for the possibility of war with Russia within the next five years. Sir Patrick stated that a conflict with Russia by 2030 is a "realistic possibility" and urged the government to swiftly improve national resilience. He criticised the UK 's lack of preparedness, citing stalled conversations about underground bunkers and insufficient funding for air defences, contrasting it with countries like Finland. Sir Patrick also highlighted that troop cuts have left the British Army"too small" for sustained engagement, with personnel numbers at their lowest since the Napoleonic wars. He concluded that recent defence budget increases are "pretty marginal" and that the UK needs to recognise the world is as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, during the Cold War.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
UK must prepare for possible war with Russia within five years, ex-British Army chief warns
Britain must prepare for the possibility of war with Russia within the next five years, the former head of the British Army has warned. General Sir Patrick Sanders, who stepped down as Chief of the General Staff last summer, told The Telegraph that a conflict with Russia by 2030 was a 'realistic possibility'. The UK government needs to act swiftly to improve national resilience, he said. 'If Russia stops fighting in Ukraine, within months they could have the capability to launch a limited attack on a Nato member, which would require our support,' Sir Patrick told The Telegraph. The former army chief revealed that previous conversations with government officials about building underground bunkers and command centres had stalled. 'It always came down to a conversation of it being too costly and not a high enough priority, and the threat didn't feel sufficiently imminent or serious to make it worth it,' he said. He pointed to Finland as an example, highlighting that it has bomb shelters capable of protecting 4.5 million people, allowing it to endure missile and air attacks. Sir Patrick said this is a level of preparedness that the UK lacks. Sir Patrick also pointed to Estonia, Poland, and the Nordic countries as governments that take a 'really proactive, serious approach' by encouraging their populations to prepare for potential attacks. Late last year, millions of Swedes were sent a pamphlet advising them on how to prepare and cope in the event of war or another unexpected crisis, as Russia's war in Ukraine continued to escalate. Around the same time, Finland also published fresh advice on 'preparing for incidents and crises'. Sir Patrick warned funding for the UK's air defences is 'much lower' than necessary. He called for more investment in systems that could protect civilians from missile and drone threats. He also criticised troop cuts that have left the British Army 'too small to survive more than the first few months of an intensive engagement,' with reserves also inadequate. In April 2024, the army fell below its recruitment target for the first time since it was set, with personnel numbers at the lowest level since the Napoleonic wars, at around 73,000 troops. All three branches of the UK armed forces are currently sitting below their size targets. Sir Patrick said the recent defence budget increases were 'pretty marginal' and that the UK must wake up to the fact that 'the world has become as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than it was in the Cold War'.
