‘We are drawing up military war plans at the moment,’ Britain’s Director of Homeland Security said.
There are long-running concerns over the size of the Armed Forces (Image: Getty)
Defence chiefs are drawing up plans for the “mass mobilisation” of civilians in the event of large-scale war, officials have revealed. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed a strategy is in the works aimed at preparing Britain for attacks on home soil amid rising fears over the threat posed by Russia.
Britain is not looking to reintroduce conscription but the four-part plan, codenamed ‘Fortitude’, includes ramping up the number of regular troops, reservists and civilian volunteers who would reportedly be encouraged to help respond if conflict broke out. This comes under the ‘Genesis’ pillar of the strategy, according to the commander of homeland defence plans.
Lieutenant General Paul Griffiths told the House of Lords national resilience committee: “This is our mass mobilisation, and how we would go ahead with increasing the size of the military workforce and the civilian volunteers to support us in time of crisis and conflict.
Defence chiefs are working on plans to bolster the military in the event of a major war (Image: Getty)
“We use the joint military commands at the very bottom of the organisation to connect to society, generate the inclination to serve, and then pull them in as required.”
“That plan is on its way now … how we could generate mass through the strategic reserve,” he added, according to The i Paper.
The strategic reserve includes retired troops who can still be called out and mobilised if required.
In January, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed it was raising the age limit from 55 to 65 as part of measures intended to make Britain more prepared for war.
The plans outlined fall short of conscription despite growing calls for it to be reintroduced to counter manpower shortages.
Lieutenant General Sir Charles Collins, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, said national service is not being considered “at the moment”.
The plans are set to include a “national conversation engagement campaign” to encourage more people to sign up, the committee heard.
Other measures include closer relations between military and civilian authorities, as well as details on how military sites and key national infrastructure will be protected.
Also giving evidence was Damian Johnson, the MoD’s Director of Homeland Security.
He said the Government was “updating our plans, and other departments across Government have been directed to do the same”, referencing a need for increased preparedness.
Mr Johnson added: “We are drawing up military war plans at the moment.”
The House of Lords national resilience committee also heard Britain must bolster its air and missile defences.