At the presentation of the new British Military Intelligence Service (MIS), Defense Minister Al Carnes said that “the shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door” and warned that NATO allies must be ready to react, writes Politico.
Europe, Carns said, no longer faces “wars of choice” but “wars of necessity” that will have a high human cost, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example.
At the same event at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, the head of military intelligence, Adrian Bird, revealed that intelligence activity targeting British military personnel and assets had increased by more than 50 percent in the past year, mostly from Iran, China and Russia.
The new MIS intelligence service will bring together the capabilities of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, with the aim of faster information sharing, as recommended in this year’s Strategic Defense Review (SDR).
As part of the MIS, a new Defense Counterintelligence Protection Unit will be established, whose task is to protect the armed forces, their equipment and systems from foreign interference. Staff at Wyton will analyze satellite imagery, drone video and intelligence gathered on the ground. The base already hosts Pathfinder, the largest intelligence center of the “Five Eyes” alliance in the world.
Carns concluded that strengthening the military’s intelligence structure would help make Britain’s deterrent “absolutely reliable”, particularly after a recent scathing report by the Parliamentary Defense Committee warned of the UK’s weak readiness for war.
(Vijesti.ba)
