Threat Perception Moves Pretty Fast. If You Don't Stop and Look Around Once in a While, You Could Miss It.

Defense reviews are risky business. They freeze a moment in time and justify force planning to match the review. Britain's post-Brexit and post-Cold War global defense strategy ran right into a renewed Russian threat in Europe. A military built for the former is in a tough spot.

The British are getting reminded by a podcast of their vulnerability to a direct Russian attack on Britain:

The Wargame records a real-life simulation played by former members of the British political and security establishment, focused around an attack by Russia on the UK. It is gripping listening and quite alarming, if depressingly familiar to anyone who has worked in British defence.

That post discusses Britain's defense shortcomings posed by the podcast in light of real world events. So this seems about one Russian invasion of Ukraine ago relevant: 

The U.K.’s first Carrier Strike Group will operate for four months in the Indo-Pacific to complete the full operational capability milestone for the Royal Navy’s carrier strike group concept.

But before Russia made Europe the main battlefield again, a Pacific cruise made sense. 

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. You know you want to. 

NOTE: Royal Navy photo of HMS Prince of Wales.