The UK is increasing investment in air and missile defence capabilities following concerns raised about long-range missile threats, including those demonstrated by Iran, the government stated.
Speaking in the House of Lords, Defence Minister Lord Coaker said the Ministry of Defence is strengthening homeland defence as part of wider measures linked to the Strategic Defence Review. “The MoD is strengthening homeland security, investing up to £1 billion in capability including air and missile defence, improved munitions stockpiles and readiness at scale to deter and respond to threats,” he said.
The discussion followed a question from Lord Harris of Haringey, who asked what assessment had been made of UK homeland defence in light of Iran’s reported missile capabilities and whether public guidance would be issued in the event of a threat.
Coaker said NATO remains central to the UK’s defensive posture. “NATO remains the cornerstone of allied deterrence and defence. NATO’s ballistic missile defence system was designed to deal with precisely this type of threat,” he said, adding that the system had recently been used to intercept missiles targeting Turkey.
He also pointed to specific procurement activity. “We’ve already started to spend some of that… including £180 million contract to deliver state of the art land Ceptor missile systems to deal with some of the threat,” he said.
On the potential risk to the UK, Coaker stated: “Our assessment is that Iran poses no threat at the current time to the UK,” while noting that the government would continue to review how it communicates risks and guidance to the public if required.
The exchange also touched on the delayed Defence Investment Plan, with Coaker reiterating the government’s position. “It will be published when it is ready to be published… as soon as possible,” he said.
I wonder if he actually believes that?
I don’t.
Threats take many shapes and forms from a ballistic missile to a cheapo drone and in between.
So of those threats are very real and very possible.
Yes it’s bold statement to say Iran is not a direct threat to the UK and I still think shows the west does not fully grasp the scope of all domain warfare.. it always goes to tanks, planes, ships and bombs as a comfort blanket..
What about
1) cyber
2) political warfare
3) economic warfare
4) sabotage and terror
The price of petrol did not go up on its own.. I’m pretty sure 4 Jews charity ambulances did not burn down on their own and we know from this sites work Iranian political trolls will be out stoking political fires in the UK..
100%. Concealing some ballistic missiles or cheap drones on a cargo ship and sailing into the Atlantic easily puts them within range of the British isles.
I assume that the statement (given the context of the discussion), is intended to mean ‘no direct ballistic missile threat to the UK mainland’. It would not be credible (or meaningful) to make a broader ‘no threat to the UK at all’ statement, given that such a statement would imply that nothing the Iranians could do could damage our territory, people, supply chains or economy in any way.
Well if they have had a pop at DG 4000 Kms from Iran what’s to stop them actually trying a pop at London? Obviously DG was we can have a go if we want to ! soooo the threat does exist surely?!
Yes it was a definite deterrent 3Cs act aimed at Europe.. very little question..
The Aegis Ashore site in Romania might be able to deal with them, the footprint is big enough.
Israeli intelligence says Khorramshahr-4 missile with a smaller warhead may be capable of 4000 km range.
Also, land Ceptor is for short-range threats. It is not going to be any good against ballistic missiles.
We need something with the capability level of THAAD or Israels arrow 3.
If Iran’s regime survives this conflict, they will definitely step up their missile range and go for a nuke too.
They are even more of a threat now than ever.
As they torched four Jewish Charity Ambulances. No Direct Threat… Yeah sure, not with Missiles, but Russia can (Different Discussion) Iran operates more like Terrorists and will use “Faith Leaders” to attack this country. Hell, they basically have an organisation called Palestine Action, one that would love to get into this if they were given the right information about Israeli companies and the right “operatives” then they’ll hit under that moniker too.
“Our assessment is that Iran poses no threat at the current time to the UK,”
Phew! Cancel the garden nuclear shelter…
“NATO’s ballistic missile defence system was designed to deal with precisely this type of threat,”
Oh! Hang on…
We cannot rely on NATO. Britain must take responsibility for its own security. We rely on Norway for gas. We rely on France for 10-15% of our electricity.
What an absolute shambles! No wonder decisions on Britain’s domestic and foreign policy are now dictated from overseas.
An absolute disgrace in which every government of all the major parties since 1990 has been complicit!
Israel is reporting it has knocked out 330 of Iran’s 470 missile launchers (70%)
But Iran seems undeterred by these losses, they are still getting many launches off each day.
” ….. state of the art…. wider measures…” all the usual guff. It’s funny, 25 odd years ago, Iraq had munitions capable of being deployed against us in 45 minutes according to one famous dossier. Yet Iran, with a demonstrable ballistic missile system somehow doesn’t. .
Sounds like another reason not to spend money.
Spin and utter cobblers, as usual, and NOBODY in the media, the Lords, or MPs call them out on it….
““The MoD is strengthening homeland security, investing up to £1 billion in capability including air and missile defence, improved munitions stockpiles and readiness at scale to deter and respond to threats,”
So just WHAT can one buy for that amount when munitions stockpiles are included?
“He also pointed to specific procurement activity. “We’ve already started to spend some of that… including £180 million contract to deliver state of the art land Ceptor missile systems to deal with some of the threat,”
Another classic, assume he means the 12 launchers/systems for 16RA, for which HMG REFUSE to reveal how many equip each of its 4 Batteries ( 8 Fire Groups….my guess is because the answer would be shocking ) and which in any case is a Field Army asset, not for home defence. I know HMG double hat assets to be in two places at once but they fool nobody.
The panic Brigade having Iranian missiles raining down on London need to reign it in a bit as there are NATO/US BM defences between us, but even so, once they are launched, we are helpless to act ourselves.
In all probability, we can rely on NATO…today…ish…
As we have seen, circumstances, ‘events’, can change very quickly indeed.
Consequently it would be the height of irresponsibility for HMG not to.have a contingency plan in place to cope, particularly, with ICBMs leaking through a quite possibly overwhelmed or even sabotaged NATO air defence shield.
Am I alone in suspecting that no such credible contingency plan exists? The negligence of successive governments from all major parties has been rumbled!
Defence of the realm is the first duty of any government, spurred on, one might have thought, by the consideration that Westminster/Whitehall would be top of any target list!
‘While Iran remains the primary military actor confronting U.S. and Israeli forces on the battlefield, China’s technological and intelligence support appears to play an important enabling role in strengthening Tehran’s operational effectiveness. Access to advanced satellite intelligence, the BeiDou navigation system, modern radar technologies, and electronic warfare expertise can significantly enhance Iran’s ability to conduct more precise missile and drone strikes’
Ballistic missiles can only really be shot down in their launch or terminal phases, so having other NATO countries in between us and Iran doesn’t help that much. We need a local ability to shoot them down in their terminal phase. Having a T45 operating in and around the British isles at all times would be a start. Not sure if the missile systems can remain activated whilst a T45 is sitting in port, but that would be much easier than having one at sea 24/7.
On the plus side, we should have significant notice / warning that missiles are inbound, which is the real benefit of the distance.
But if Iran (or someone else) can put drones or ballistic missiles on a ship in the Atlantic that changes the game significantly.
Thanks for that.
I’ve long wondered myself of the usefulness of assets sat in port, I guess having a crew and being armed would help.
Our chat on here along those lines often ends up with the Samson radar atop Portsdown at the LBTS and wondering if it could have a role.
It’s shocking and shameful that the UK have no GBAD and yet countries like the UAE etc do. Brits over that part of the world flying back home, but in reality they would be safer there with missile defence system been in place . That’s if Iran are capable of hitting us has the IDF say .But if HMG say all’s well and they are investing in so call land Ceptor defence system then we can all sleep well at night 🌙 🙄
How about the underground base that Iran have who knows what’s down there ?
The deluded MOD believing its own spin and lies, can it get any worse than the lunitics running the asylum. We have nothing that can engage ballistic missiles apart from 6 Type 45 ships 3 of which are forever broken/awaiting spares etc etc , and i would not hold out them having vast stocks of ammo either we all know thats a lie.
Lie after half truth after waffle, day after day.
Lies and reassurances must come out of a better-funded budget than GBAD.
We all know it will be cuts dressed up as massive investment, waffle, half truths and out right lies. It will be a farce with most kit deyed or not coming into service for years, All good buying kit but its how face it enters service and in what numbers plus back up of good ammo stocks. Look at slow speed Boxer is being made grat bit of wheeled kit but just not enough fast enough, the DIP will be full of that.
I don’t doubt we’re effectively defenceless if they decided to hit us.
What I do doubt is the idea that they would do so and risk drawing us and other European nations into the conflict.
I think their delighted that the US and Israel are going it alone on this one and all the political divides that’s causing.
they’re*
“Our assessment is that Iran poses no threat at the current time to the UK” … well he clearly doesn’t understand how the IRGC operates globally, creating sleeper cells, working with local criminals and recruiting local agents through the Telegram app, paying them in crypto money, and there is a wide enough potential recruiting base within the country right now… As for ballistic missiles, words are the cheapest alternative.