London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

PM warned not to 'drop our guard' on military power as he boasts of boost to cyber defence

PM warned not to 'drop our guard' on military power as he boasts of boost to cyber defence

In a sign of potential clashes ahead, a senior Conservative warns that we "drop our guard on the conventional side at our peril".

Boris Johnson has said new efforts to radically boost the UK's cyber capabilities will "transform our ability to protect our people".

The impact of the new technology will be comparable to the emergence of military air power a century ago, the prime minister said.

His comments come ahead of next week's publication of the government's long-awaited Integrated Review - billed as the most significant strategic overhaul of the UK's foreign, defence, security and aid policy since the Cold War.

The prime minister says there will be a 'new, full-spectrum approach to cyber'


But in a sign of the likely political clashes ahead, the Conservative chair of the Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, has warned ministers not to overlook the need to bolster existing military capabilities, telling Sky News: "We drop our guard on the conventional side at our peril."

It comes as a report by the Defence Select Committee has criticised the UK army's ageing tanks and armoured vehicles, saying they could leave the UK "outgunned and overmatched" in a conflict with Russian forces.

The group of MPs said a series of procurement failures meant the army had been left with an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) fleet facing "mass obsolescence".

They blamed a history of "bureaucratic procrastination, military indecision, financial mismanagement and general ineptitude" which they said had marked attempts to re-equip the army over the past two decades.

As part of the launch of the Integrated Review on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will confirm the headquarters of the new National Cyber Force will be based in the north of England, with the aim of creating a "cyber corridor" in the region that will encourage the growth of the technology sector outside of London.

"Cyber power is revolutionising the way we live our lives and fight our wars, just as air power did 100 years ago," the prime minister said.

"We need to build up our cyber capability so we can grasp the opportunities it presents while ensuring those who seek to use its powers to attack us and our way of life are thwarted at every turn."

Mr Johnson added: "Our new, full-spectrum approach to cyber will transform our ability to protect our people, promote our interests around the world and make the lives of British people better every day."

Tobias Ellwood is warning against 'dropping our guard' on conventional defence


The commander of strategic command, General Sir Patrick Sanders, said the Integrated Review would strike a balance between maintaining conventional military capacity and developing new approaches.

Writing in The Times, he said: "It will preserve the best aspects of the old while shaping the emergence of a new order, and defence and the armed forces have a critical role to play."

Mr Ellwood said the depleted state of the UK's armoured capabilities risks being overlooked.

"I fear there has been too much of a lure towards the digital domain, towards cyber security and the space command and so forth, but we drop our guard on the conventional side at our peril, and yet that is exactly what I see this integrated review taking us to," he told Sky News.

"Our reliance on the internet and on data means we are ever more vulnerable to cyber attacks, data theft, interference in our elections, disinformation campaigns - that's all a part of the parcel of the constant competition that we now face, but those old conventional threats have not disappeared."

He added: "When you take 10,000 troops away, when you take tanks away and armoured personnel vehicles away, when you take frigates away, when you take our heavy lift capability away, reduce our F35s, reduce our typhoons, that means we are going to be more vulnerable in a conventional sense.

"It's a bit like saying, fine, I've managed to get my computer with all the software on it, I'm completely protected, but I forgot to lock the front door."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×