NATO is poised to demand that Britain ramp up its air defence spending in response to rising concerns over the country’s vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks.
According to a report from GB News, the alliance is expected to make the call by the end of the year. The report states that the call will be made in response to NATO members’ frustration over the U.K.’s insufficient contribution to Europe’s defence systems.
NATO allies have reportedly expressed dissatisfaction specifically with the U.K.’s ability to counter a large-scale missile or air attack from Russia. Fighter-based defenses, which form a key part of the U.K.’s integrated air defense strategy, are said to lack sufficient capacity to intercept major threats, forcing other NATO members in Western Europe to compensate for the gap.
Land-based missile defense systems, once a critical component of the U.K.’s strategy, have also reportedly deteriorated. The state of these systems is a point of contention among Eastern European NATO members, who argue that the U.K. is not fulfilling its commitments within the NATO Integrated Air Defense framework.
An investigation by The Times has also revealed growing concerns over gaps in Britain’s missile defences.
According to the report, more than a dozen current military personnel and defence experts have highlighted that both the U.K. and its overseas military assets could be vulnerable to long-range missiles being developed by China, Russia, and Iran.
A senior military source cautioned that if a missile were launched from a ship, submarine, or aircraft, the U.K. could be targeted from any direction.
As of now, the U.K. government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not publicly responded to these reports.
