'Whole nation must step up' to protect UK

ROWING threats faced by the UK will require “our whole nation stepping up” to ensure the country can continue to function in a crisis, the head of the British armed forces will warn.

- NINA LLOYD

Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton will say the situation is “more dangerous than I have known during my career” as he makes the case for a society-wide approach to “defence and deterrence”.

He will call on “people who are not soldiers, sailors or aviators to nevertheless invest their skills - and money” on building up national resilience.

In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) today, Sir Richard is expected to say: “Our armed forces always need to be ready to fight and win - that's why readiness is such a priority.

“But deterrence is also about our resilience to these threats, it's about how we harness all our national power, from universities, to industry, the rail network to the NHS.

“It's about our defence and resilience being a higher national priority for all of us. An ‘all-in’ mentality.