Security chief: World is in a dangerous new arms race
Foes focusing on nukes and weapons of the future
THE world is entering a ‘dangerous age of proliferation’ with more nuclear warheads and a greater threat of conflicts, the UK’s security chief warned last night.
In a landmark speech, Sir Stephen Lovegrove said Britain’s enemies are developing high-tech ‘directed energy’ weapons and lasers, while stockpiling chemical weapons as well as traditional cruise missiles.
The conflict in Ukraine – in which Russia has made nuclear threats with Kremlin stooges talking of ‘sinking’ Britain – is ‘a manifestation of a much broader contest unfolding over the successor of the post-Cold War international order’, he said. He also singled out China for increasing quantities and calibres of warheads and threatening neighbours.
The national security adviser revealed fears of future major wars because trust has broken down, and said Beijing and Moscow seem happy to ignore international treaties.
Sir Stephen called for measures to prevent an arms race and more dialogue between nations.
Addressing the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, he said: ‘Technological change has
‘Must create space for dialogue’
increased the damage potential of weapons and these systems are more widely available.
‘Strategic stability is at risk. We face broader risks, shifts to hybrid warfare, new domains such as cyber and space.
‘The barriers to ownership of an increasingly large set of weapons are getting lower, such as drones and chemical and biological capabilities.
‘In 2001 only three states had land- attack cruise missiles, today it is at least 23.
‘Many non- state actors [terrorist groups] could also develop further capabilities. We must also be eternally vigilant for rogue states developing traditional nuclear weapons, sparking a rush among regional neighbours to do the same.’ The adviser raised the spectre of a ‘collapse into uncontrolled conflict’ unless methods are devised to impose arms controls.
New approaches are required as Cold War mechanisms to prevent conflict are irrelevant.
He said: ‘ The monolithic blocks of Nato and the USSR were able to reach a shared understanding of doctrine. This gave us a higher level of confidence that we would not miscalculate our way into nuclear war.
‘Today, we do not have the same foundations with others who may threaten us, particularly China. We must create space for dialogue to build trust and counter disinformation. The UK strongly supports US President Biden’s proposed talks with China as an important step.’
Sir Stephen said at one end of the spectrum, terror groups are perfecting use of drones and online disinformation drives. At the other, the US and others are exploring the potential of bioweapons that target DNA, directed energy weapons and ‘hypersonic glide vehicles’.
He added: ‘We must work closely with our partners and establish binding legal frameworks. Arms control should be global by design and extend to a much wider group of countries.
‘It will be difficult to deliver but we can make progress.’