EDINBURGH: Britain’s defence minister Gavin Williamson said a new radar offScotland’s Shetland Islands would help tackle the “severe and real” threatfrom Moscow.
In a return to the Cold War days when Shetland had hosted an early warningradar, the new Royal Air Force facility is being built to trackunidentified military or civilian aircraft.
“We will always protect our skies from Russian aggression,” Williamson saidFriday, describing the radar as vital to British defences.
“Russia’s actions are not limited to Europe’s eastern borders — the threatto British livelihoods is severe and real,” he added.
The £10 million radar on Unst, Britain’s most northerly inhabited island,is due to be fully operational soon, the Ministry of Defence said.
Once launched it will feed into the country’s quick reaction alert system,which in the past has been used to scramble RAF jets to intercept Russianaircraft.
On January 15 two fighter jets were launched to monitor two Russianmilitary aircraft, which the Ministry of Defence said did not respond toair traffic control authorities.
A total of 69 such operations have been carried out in the past five years,the ministry said without detailing how many involved Russian aircraft.
Williamson’s praise for the radar comes as he and defence chiefs up theirrhetoric against Russia.
On Thursday the defence minister accused Moscow of spying on Britain’scrucial infrastructure, as part of possible plans to create “total chaos”in the country, in comments published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
His intervention came after the head of the British army warned Russiaposes the “most complex and capable” security challenge since the Cold War.
Chief of the General Staff Nick Carter warned Monday that Britain struggledto match Russia´s military capabilities, saying the ability to respond tothreats would be eroded “if we don´t match up to them now”.
The comments come as Williamson, in the post since November, is reportedlypressuring finance minister Philip Hammond for more money. – AFP