In a landmark speech, the UK’s top defence chief calls for national resilience, urging mobilization across the entire society—not only military buildup—to deter and respond to escalating Russian threats.

Deterrence now includes mobilising universities, industry, the rail network, and the NHS, signaling an all-in, cross-sector national defense posture.

The government pledges 50 million pounds to establish Defence Technical Excellence Colleges aimed at accelerating training and boosting capabilities across the defence sector.

A parallel 50 million-pound fund will create new Defence Technical Excellence Centres to strengthen engineering and technical skills essential for national resilience.

These colleges will speed up training and deliver short courses to align defence employers and personnel with evolving needs.

Recent UK-Norway defense cooperation envisions a joint frigate fleet to monitor Russian submarines, reflecting heightened submarine activity near UK waters.

The government plans defence and security spending to reach about 5% of GDP by 2035 as part of a broader push to fortify national security.

He warns the current threat level is the most dangerous he has seen, advocating a society-wide approach to defence that extends beyond traditional armed forces.

This 5% of GDP target underscores Western caution toward Russia and a sustained commitment to bolstering defence footing.

Britain’s Army is backing the first degree course in drones, a Masters of Engineering program in Hereford focused on autonomous systems for designing, building, and operating unmanned weapons.

Knighton foresees the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, driven by the rising cost of peace.

He argues for rebuilding defence capabilities and the infrastructure that underpins resilience amid this spending surge.