The UK is ‘wide open’ to an attack from Iran as the country only has one national anti-missile defence system, a security expert has warned. The UK’s only defence system is the Type 45 Destroyers
A UK security expert has shed light on the military’s array of defence technology, but admitted the UK is “wide open” to an attack from Iran.
Anthony Glees, Emeritus Professor at the University of Buckinghamshire, told The Express: “If we were to be attacked some analysts say that Britain is ‘wide open’ to a missile onslaught. Our only national anti-missile defence system is the Type 45 Destroyers.
“However, we have only one that works and that has been deployed to Cyprus. We also have the Sky Sabre defence system used to protect our Army from missiles.”
Defence Secretary John Healey emphasised the Government does not believe Iran intends to attack the UK, but did not dismiss the possibility that the country could do so.
The HMS Dragon, a type 45 destroyer, arrived in the eastern Mediterranean last week, three weeks after an Iranian-made drone struck the British base of RAF Akrotiri, according to the defence secretary, reports the Express.
The Type 45 destroyer started “operational integration into Cyprus’s defence” from Monday night, Healey informed MPs.
The Sky Sabre’s highly advanced technology offers unparalleled speed and precision. However, Prof Glees is uncertain about its current location.
Glees said: “We believe this system is currently in Poland, protecting our Polish allies against Russian missile incursion. It can hit a tennis ball travelling at the speed of sound, so it is good. But we’re not sure it’s here!
According to Army Technology, the Sky Sabre system was brought back to the UK from Poland in 2024. When the system is stationed in Poland, it assists in safeguarding NATO’s eastern boundary.
The Sea Viper system aboard Type 45 destroyers shields the Royal Navy fleet and can monitor, engage and eliminate various airborne threats at distances exceeding 70 miles. It represents the most advanced air defence system ever fielded by the Royal Navy, according to the service.
Healey described the Germans as “good allies” for stepping forward to supply a frigate for a NATO mission next month following HMS Dragon’s deployment to defend Cyprus amid the Iran crisis.
The Defence Secretary told LBC the German vessel will operate under a Royal Navy commodore’s command, saying: “This is what good allies do. The Germans have stepped in to supply their warship.”
When questioned whether he felt embarrassed that the UK needs to borrow a vessel from Germany, he described it as a “sign of the strength of the Nato alliance … but I’m not happy with the situation we have with British warships, and that’s because it takes six years to build a warship”.
The UK possesses 17 frigates and destroyers, he said.
Asked why they couldn’t deploy another vessel for the pre-arranged NATO mission, he responded: “I have to make decisions based on what we’ve got.
Healey said the Germans were “preparing Dragon to play that flagship role, the way that Iran retaliated in an indiscriminate, widespread manner, meant I needed to bolster the defences that we’d already put into the Middle East before the conflict erupted.”
Glees stressed that NATO’s missile defence systems should not be underestimated. He said: “NATO identified and then destroyed an Iranian missile heading for Turkey, a NATO ally. That’s good.”
He explained that the systems “comprise radar and interception weapons, we believe Patriot missiles, situated at two sites in Romania and Poland, based on the assumption that Iranian weapons would fly over these two countries.
“The US Navy has destroyers with anti-missile capabilities near Rota in Spain and all are controlled by the US at Ramstein air base.
“Additionally, there is the European Sky Shield ESSI led by the Germans and involving 23 European nations, including the UK.”
He also highlighted the continued significance of Israel’s intelligence service in the Middle East for Western powers.
Glees said: “The Mossad however seems mainly accurate (they located the Iranian leadership, knew they were all going to be in the same place in Khomenei’s compound in Tehran and allowed them to be blown to kingdom come.”
The Treasury is not obstructing the long-overdue defence investment plan, according to the Defence Secretary.
It follows Labour MP Tan Dhesi, who chairs the Defence Committee, suggesting the plan could now be pushed back until after May’s elections, describing the situation as a “mess”.
When questioned whether the Treasury is holding up the plan, Healey said: “No … Rachel Reeves, as Chancellor, has given defence an extra £8 billion this year over what the previous government put in. We’re spending £270 billion in this Parliament alone. We’re putting in place, from next year, the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.”
After being pressed on whether the Treasury has been asked to “scale anything back” on the defence investment plan, Healey responded: “No, we are working with the Treasury, we’re working across government to finalise this defence investment plan.”
This comes despite ministers pledging to publish the 10-year plan before Christmas, but the top civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, Jeremy Pocklington, said it had to be agreed by “everyone across government” before being finalised.
An MOD spokesperson said: ““We have the resources we need to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself.
“The UK operates a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working in tandem with our NATO allies.“This Government has prioritised the need for air and missile defence for UK national security after years of underfunding, and that is why last June, following recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review, we announced up to £1 billion in new funding to improve air and missile defence and keep the UK secure.“This includes a new £118m contract announced last year to deliver six state-of-the-art Land Ceptor missile systems, which as part of the Sky Sabre system can hit a tennis ball-sized object travelling at twice the speed of sound.“The UK-led DIAMOND initiative will improve NATO’s integrated air and missile defence by ensuring that the different air defence systems across the Alliance operate better and more jointly across Europe. DIAMOND will strengthen the way European NATO allies coordinate their air defence against missile attacks.”
