Britain should follow European allies' example and prepare for war, says military chief

Great Britain should prepare for war by following the examples shown by Nordic and Baltic nations, says Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

The Chief of the Defence Staff insists that the UK should boost its defences to prepare for future conflicts in terms of civil readiness and national resilience.

He pointed to countries such as Sweden and other European nations which are increasing their readiness in response to the growing threat from Russia.

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Adm Radakin's comments came not long after Defence Secretary John Healey announced defence cuts plans to help tackle a £22bn "black hole".

During the Berlin security conference, Adm Sir Tony said: "I think we have to acknowledge that we are in a different position, a slightly weaker one than my (Nordic and Baltic) colleagues on the panel.

"It's an area where we don't have the culture of total defence.

"We don't have some of the civil aspects or planning aspects that other countries within Nato have as part of their traditions.

"We are having those conversations to learn from our colleagues and see what might be appropriate for ourselves."

The Admiral's comments echo those made by the former head of the British Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, who said Britain should train and equip a "citizen army" to prepare the country for a potential land war.

Sweden has recently published an information pamphlet for its citizens, advising how to seek shelter in the event of war, how to cope with power or water outages from missile strikes, and what food, medicines and other supplies to stock up on in case of a national emergency.

Norway, Finland and Denmark have all republished similar guidance in recent months.