British Army hasn't the capacity to fend off Russian air attacks, think tank warns

A new report has warned that the Army does not currently have the technology required to defeat threats faced by the UK in terms of ground-based air defences.

The paper, produced by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), has also identified that Russian submarines could attack the UK with little warning, and advanced systems are being developed by China which would pose a serious threat.

The purpose of the defence and security think tank's report was to identify requirements for the command and control of the British Army's ground-based air defences, for which the MOD has committed £1.6bn in support.

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According to the report, the British Army is facing an increasingly complex range of threats, including loitering munitions, kamikaze drones, as well as cruise and hypersonic missiles.

The MOD has committed funding towards a new ground-based air defence system for the British Army, however, the service will only play a supporting role to the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy when it comes to countering ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Specifically, the report says, the Army requires more manpower, better training for specialist air defence roles, better sensors and a far more joined-up command and control structure to face modern threats. 

Rusi has warned that Russia is also collaborating with China on new air-launched weapons to defeat air defences.

But it also warns that the ground-based sensors being procured under the current plan won't be able to track ballistic or hypersonic missiles.

Despite these threats, the think tank says they are beatable.