With the world feeling more on edge than ever, and everyone still talking about A House of Dynamite, people are starting to wonder how prepared the UK is for a nuclear missile attack, and the answer isn’t great.
Unlike countries such as Israel or the United States, Britain doesn’t actually have a proper missile defence system that could stop a nuclear weapon mid-air. So, if one were ever launched towards us, things could get scary, very fast.
British defence officials say the UK should have its own Iron Dome
via Emanuel Kypreos on Unsplash
In an interview with the BFBS Forces News, Keir Giles, an expert on the Russian military at Chatham House said, “the United Kingdom does not have an integrated air and missile defence system of the kind that would be required to defend against threats directly from Russia.” In simple terms, that means we don’t have anything like Israel’s famous Iron Dome.
Right now, the Royal Navy is basically the UK’s only line of defence when it comes to ballistic missiles. Ships equipped with advanced radar systems can detect and track threats. But experts say that’s nowhere near enough to stop a large-scale attack.
Giles warned that the UK is currently “a soft and tempting target.” He explained that our defences would struggle against long-range missiles or drones like the ones Russia has been using in Ukraine.
After Iran’s massive missile and drone strike on Israel in 2024, British defence officials started calling for action. Officials like former defence secretaries, a former Chief of the General Staff, and even Penny Mordaunt, who was then Leader of the House of Commons, said it was time for Britain to build its own version of an Iron Dome.
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph last year, Mordaunt, who’s also a Royal Navy reservist, said the UK needed “a modern, integrated system” that could protect cities and key infrastructure in the event of an attack.
So far, though, nothing major has happened. The government has discussed “strengthening national defence capabilities,” but no large-scale anti-missile system has been rolled out.
So, what would actually happen?
If a nuclear missile were ever launched towards the UK, the early warning would likely come from NATO radar systems, which constantly scan the skies. But the window of time to respond is painfully short; we’re talking minutes.
The UK does have underground command centres, siren systems, and nuclear bunkers, but they’re designed more for continuity of government than public protection. In reality, most ordinary people wouldn’t have much time to react.
So, how prepared is the UK really?
via Canva
Experts say Britain is not ready for a major missile strike. As Giles put it, “The UK needs to improve its air and missile defences because, at the moment, it presents a soft and tempting target for any country that might seek to coerce or deter the UK through missile strikes.”
It’s not exactly the comforting answer anyone wants to hear, but it’s the reality we’re living in. It’s a reality that’s making A House of Dynamite feel a little less like fiction and a bit more like a warning.
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