"World Got Caught Napping" On Global Defence Threats, Says Defence Secretary

The Defence Secretary has said the "world got caught napping" with the rise of global defence threats, during a meeting with MPs.

Gavin Williamson said his focus is making sure Britain has the right capabilities, and that he wants to make the right decisions as the Modernising Defence Programme moves forward.

He also said the government’s commitment to meeting NATO’s target of spending two per cent of national income on defence is a minimum for the UK and not a ceiling.

He added the priority is adapting to deal with modern-day threats.

Mr Williamson was making his first appearance before the Commons Defence Committee, since being appointed Defence Secretary last November, and discussed the challenge he believes the UK faces from Russia, China and North Korea:

"I think the world got caught napping in terms of the rise of those state-based threats.

"We emerged out of the Cold War with the belief that things were just going to get better and better.

"You had one superpower that strode across the world, and you didn't really actually have any challenge to that.

"We're seeing that change quite dramatically."

The Defence Secretary then went on to confirm that the Modernising Defence Programme will not be fiscally neutral and when asked if separating it was dragging out the process, Mr Williamson had this to say:

"It's very easy to delete a capability, but it takes an awful long time to rebuild that capability, that learning and that knowledge.

"I'd rather be accused of taking too long to reach the right decision than reach the wrong decision."