Britain is developing an ‘Iron Dome’ defence system to intercept Russian missiles and drones, the head of the Armed Forces has revealed.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said a system similar to that employed by Israel to block attacks from Palestine is needed due to the threat posed by the Kremlin.
It would protect critical infrastructure and major cities in the UK. Sir Richard told LBC radio: ‘We call it the integrated air and missile defence.
‘And we have, over 30 years, not really faced a threat from the air in that way.
‘The threat has evolved. Russia’s capability and willingness to use ballistic and cruise missiles has become more apparent.’
He added that the UK would need to invest more in ‘radar capability, airborne air defence and our ability to shoot down drones and cruise missiles’.
Sir Richard, who was recently appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, acknowledged the UK was lagging far behind Israel and the US in developing such a defence.
He told presenter Andrew Marr that, across Nato, one of the biggest capability gaps was exactly this sort of system.
The UK version has been dubbed a ‘Super Dome’ and would include aircraft, troops on the ground with shoulder-fired rocket launchers, and swarms of drones.
It is thought that Russian drones could be particularly difficult to deal with, especially if any are launched from within UK airspace by saboteurs or special forces.
