The multinational threats facing all nations, and Western nations in particular, range from cyber warfare through asymmetric military warfare using drones, through the regimes of subsurface, on the surface, above the surface warfare and now within space. Recognition alone of these threats (which include a dangerous compliance with woke ideology), coupled without any effective prioritisation of the threats that present the greatest challenge to our continued prosperity, must be considered negligence of the highest order.
For our Island Nation, the number one strategic defence priority must be maintenance of the freedom of the seas throughout the global commons. This requires serious investment in our national military power projection capability which can only be enjoyed through the medium of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in concert with other Allied navies, especially that of the United States. Investment in expensive tactical weapon systems that do not enjoy genuine global deployability, such as non-carrier-capable tactical fighter aircraft and heavy armour, have little if any utility for the task of policing and protecting our lifeblood trade and energy supply routes throughout the high seas. The U.K.’s continued planned major investment in these systems must therefore be curtailed, or at minimum, reduced in favour of the maritime need.
The United States, our richest and most powerful ally, invests heavily in a military power projection capability that provides Western democratic nations with insurance against those autocratic nations that would seek to do us harm. A vital part of that insurance is the nuclear deterrent which continues to prevent the possible outbreak of any third world war, a war that nobody could win. Beneath that umbrella of protection, it is the powerful United States Navy supported by the US Marine Corps and US Strategic Bomber Command that plays the major role in policing the global commons and ensuring the freedom of the seas and, with it, the security of global trade and energy supply routes. The Houthi terrorist attacks on the shipping lane choke point that is the Red Sea and its approaches, preventing the free flow of maritime trade, are testament to this need. Trade route choke points further afield must now be considered high-risk areas, leading to the urgent need for the UK to invest much more heavily in the Royal Navy, thereby supporting the commendable efforts of our principal ally.
That aside, there is one element of gross negligence that needs to be addressed with the highest priority within the United States (and to a lesser extent within Europe): the failure to maintain a secure southern border. The current Administration has welcomed the inflow of more than 10 million illegal, undocumented and often untraceable migrants across that border, which is now arguably controlled by the drug cartels in Mexico, not by US forces. This open border policy has allowed the free passage of the good, the bad and the ugly into the country. This includes extraordinary quantities of the lethal drug fentanyl, human traffickers, sex traffickers, terrorists and extremely violent gang members, many of whom have been released intentionally from the prisons of Venezuela and elsewhere in the region. Reportedly, nearly all communities throughout the United States are now suffering the consequences of this, especially the misguided sanctuary cities. FBI Director Chris Wray gave testimony to Congress this week, describing the situation as “a serious national security risk”.
One major pillar of the global defence in depth philosophy is maintaining the sovereign integrity of national borders. But the immense military power projection capability of the United States is stymied with respect to the lack of integrity of its southern border. Fifth columnists from nations that would do it harm are flooding into the US homeland without any restraint.
The situation is all the more ludicrous when one considers that the US homeland harbours massive land and air power that could be used to counter the drug cartels and to close the border immediately. One has to question why the Biden Administration has consistently refused to do so. Such neglect would appear to be unconscionable at best.
All good points, Sharkey but our governments are now deaf and blind to them. Probably because they are so dumb! I believe they are now for joining the rest of rich NATO members and standing back to allow the USA to fund their shares. I hope they have a Plan “B” for the time when one Donald Trump, or one with similar policies, gets back into the Whitehouse. The USA has had enough of propping up European defence, I suspect.
All good points, Sharkey but our governments are now deaf and blind to them. Probably because they are so dumb!
I believe they are now for joining the rest of rich NATO members and standing back to allow the USA to fund their shares.
I hope they have a Plan “B” for the time when one Donald Trump, or one with similar policies, gets back into the Whitehouse. The USA has had enough of propping up European defence, I suspect.