The UK government is intensifying its preparations for the possibility of a major conflict, with Armed Forces Minister Al Carns warning that the “shadow of war” is now “knocking on Europe’s door once more.” His remarks come amid a sharp rise in hostile intelligence activity targeting the country and renewed calls from NATO leadership for Europe to brace for large-scale confrontation.
According to Carns, the UK is “rapidly developing” plans to ready not only its military but the entire country for potential war. Emphasizing that civilians would hold a decisive role in such a scenario, he noted, “Armies, navies and air forces respond to crises, but societies, industries and economies win wars.”
The minister said the government is now working on a detailed plan to make sure everybody plays a part if war comes. “Collectively, everybody—what is their role if we get caught in an existential crisis, and what do they need to be aware they need to do and what they can’t do, and how do we mobilize the nation to support a military endeavor?”
Carns continued explaining, “Not just about deploying the military, but actually about protecting every inch of our own territory. That work is ongoing now, it’s rapidly developing. We’ve got to move as fast as we can to make sure that’s shored up.”
His comments follow a warning from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who told member states that Europe must prepare for a conflict with Russia on the kind of scale “our grandparents and great-grandparents endured,” referencing the First and Second World Wars.
The Starmer government revealed on Friday that hostile intelligence activity—including spying, hacking and physical threats—against the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense has surged by more than 50% over the past year. Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are suspected to be the key actors behind this escalation. In response, the UK is launching a new defense counter-intelligence unit aimed at better detecting and disrupting operations conducted by hostile states.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense is consolidating its intelligence capabilities by merging the army, navy, air force and Defense Intelligence branches into a new structure called the Military Intelligence Services.
Historically, the UK maintained a detailed framework for transitioning from peace to war, known as the Government War Book, which outlined responsibilities for institutions ranging from the military and police to schools, hospitals and even art galleries. This system was dismantled after the Cold War due to its cost and perceived obsolescence, but Carns’s remarks suggest a modernized version could be revived.
