The United Kingdom is preparing for war

He warned of “the shadow of war” on Europe’s doorstep, noting that hostile intelligence activities against Britain have risen by more than 50 percent over the past year, Sky News reports.

Emphasizing the role of civilians in a major conflict, Cairns said that “armies, navies and air forces respond to crises, but societies, industries and economies win wars.”

“The shadow of war is once again knocking on Europe’s door. That is the reality. We must be ready to deter it,” he said.

Cairns’s statement followed the warning by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said on Thursday that Europe must prepare for a potential conflict with Russia on a scale “endured by our grandmothers and grandfathers” — a reference, according to the British broadcaster, to the First and Second World Wars.

Main threats

EPA/TOLGA AKMEN

As a sign of the seriousness of the situation, Britain announced today that the level of hostile intelligence activities — including espionage, hacking and physical threats against its armed forces and the Ministry of Defence — has risen by more than 50 percent over the past year.

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are considered the main suspects.

The British government is launching a new counter-intelligence unit to strengthen its ability to detect and disrupt operations by hostile states, and it has consolidated various military intelligence structures of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Defence Intelligence into a new organization called the Military Intelligence Service.

• Rutte: “We are the next Russian target”

The United Kingdom once had a comprehensive plan for transitioning from peace to war, Sky News reports. Developed over decades, the so-called Government’s War Book contained instructions for all parts of society — from the military and police to schools, hospitals, and even museums. However, this extensive system, which was expensive to maintain, was quietly discontinued after the end of the Cold War.