- In his first annual RUSI lecture as Chief of Defence Staff,
Sir Richard Knighton outlines need for “whole of society
approach” to build “national resilience” in face of growing
uncertainty and threats.
- Calls for “our whole nation” to step up to ensure Britain
can continue to function in a crisis.
- New Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, backed by £50
million, to help build skills needed to tackle threat posed by
Russia.
The head of the Armed Forces will issue a rallying cry this
evening to the nation to build Britain's resilience in the face
of growing threats and uncertainty.
Addressing the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for the
first time today (Monday 15 December), the Chief of the Defence
Staff Sir Richard Knighton will set out how a
whole-nation response is needed in a more volatile and
uncertain world.
In a speech setting out his priorities of readiness, people and
transformation, he will talk about the need to increase the
nation's resilience in the face of increasing threats. Far from
being an issue just for defence, he will detail how the
long-term success of the armed forces relies on reconnecting with
society: making Defence and resilience part of the national
conversation and “a higher national priority for all of us”.
Discussing the threats we face, he is expected to say:
“The situation is more dangerous than I have known during my
career and the response requires more than simply strengthening
our armed forces. A new era for defence doesn't just mean our
military and government stepping up – as we are – it means our
whole nation stepping up.”
An engineer by background, Sir Richard will reference the recent
Royal Academy of Engineering and National Engineering Policy
Centre report which highlights an engineering skills gap, as well
as recruitment and retention challenges, as an example of a
fragile system which must be reinvigorated to ensure the nation
can continue to function in a crisis.
Drawing parallels to the skills gaps seen across defence, he will
talk about the need to work with industry and young people to
identify gaps and build pathways to address them.
He will announce £50 million for new Defence Technical Excellence
Colleges, which will support thousands of short courses so that
defence employers can upskill new hires and existing staff more
quickly.
“Five colleges in England, and others across the UK, will gain
specialist status and major new funding to train people in the
skills needed to secure new defence jobs, and help deliver on the
ambitions set out in the SDR.
“In addition to training young people for the new jobs of the
future, this funding will also support thousands of short courses
so defence employers can upskill existing staff quickly,
providing the versatility that they – and we – need.”
On defence spending he is expected to say:
“I find myself in a position that none of my predecessors during
my career have faced, looking at the prospect of the largest
sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold
War. And that is because the price of peace is increasing.”
Highlighting the increased probability of Russia invading a NATO
country, he is expected to say:
“The war in Ukraine shows Putin's willingness to target
neighbouring states, including their civilian populations,
potentially with such novel and destructive weapons, threatens
the whole of NATO, including the UK.
“The Russian leadership has made clear that it wishes to
challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy NATO, in former
President Medvedev's words, aspiring to “the disappearance of
Ukraine and the disappearance of NATO – preferably both.”
Building on the Strategic Defence Review, he will outline the
need for a “whole of society” approach to defence and deterrence,
to build a “national resilience” to threats.
He is expected to say:
“Our armed forces always need to be ready to fight and win –
that's why readiness is such a priority.
“But deterrence is also about our resilience to these threats,
it's about how we harness all our national power, from
universities, to industry, the rail network to the NHS. It's
about our defence and resilience being a higher national priority
for all of us. An ‘all-in' mentality.
And that will require people who are not soldiers, sailors or
aviators to nevertheless invest their skills – and money – in
innovation and problem solving on the nation's behalf.”
As part of rebuilding the national resilience, he will speak
about the need to rebuild our defence capabilities and the
national infrastructure which underpins that resilience.
Closing his speech, the Chief of Defence Staff will reaffirm the
need for action as the uncertainty we face grows greater. He is
expected to say:
“We are heading into uncertainty, and that uncertainty is
becoming more profound, both as our adversaries become more
capable and unpredictable, and as unprecedented technology change
manifests itself'.”
