UK Revives War Book for Wartime Preparedness

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, announced at the London Defence Conference on Friday that the government is updating its long-dormant Government War Book to prepare the nation for a potential transition to wartime footing amid rising global threats.

The revised framework, first developed during the First World War and maintained through the Cold War, will coordinate efforts across the military, police, hospitals, industry, and civilians to ensure resilience in a crisis. Knighton, speaking to an audience of defense experts and officials, emphasized adapting historical lessons to contemporary challenges. "It would require people to think differently about resilience, drawing on lessons from the Cold War but in a modern context, with a modern society, with modern infrastructure," he said. The Cabinet Office is leading the initiative, which includes measures to protect critical infrastructure such as power stations, water supplies, and transport networks against threats beyond hybrid warfare, including direct adversary actions.

Knighton also addressed Britain's strategy toward Russia's shadow fleet of tankers, which transport sanctioned...