Britain remains vulnerable to a missile strike from Russia without a full Iron Dome-style shield to protect it, a senior defence insider has said.
The firing of two medium-range ballistic missiles by Iran towards Diego Garcia last week has fuelled fears that London could be targeted by Tehran, as it continues to lash out against the west over the US-led war.
But ministers and defence chiefs still believe that Russia is the “primary threat” to Britain, and are maintaining focus on support for the war in Ukraine and defence of the High North region close to the Arctic Circle.
Defence Secretary John Healey warned the Commons this week that “our adversaries will want us distracted” by the war in the Gulf.
Iran fired two medium-range ballistic missiles towards the US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean last Friday. One fell short of the target while a second was shot down by a US warship.
A defence insider said while the attention was rightly on the war in the Middle East and the extent of Iran’s missile capabilities, Vladimir Putin has “all this and more”, adding: “We are sitting in the sights of Russian missiles every day.”
Britain has what is known as an Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) system, using a mix of ground-based and air-based anti-missile equipment that can detect and shoot down incoming threats.
It also benefits from being part of the Nato umbrella of protection from missiles – particularly those that can be intercepted by the US and allies over Continental Europe.
But Britain still lacks a full Iron Dome-style missile shield that would fully protect it from attack, particularly from those missiles missed by allies. Israel’s Iron Dome is able to thwart incoming attacks before they can hit towns and cities. It is mainly designed to stop short-range rockets, artillery shells and mortars from between 4km and 70km from the missile launcher.
Last year’s Strategic Defence Review recommended a £1bn upgrade to the UK’s homeland anti-missile defence, including more F35 fighter jets and E7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft.
The defence insider said “everyone” wanted the SDR to include an Iron Dome-style air missile defence system, but it was not affordable within the spending envelope of 3 per cent of GDP on defence over the course of the next parliament.
‘Our dominant security issue is Russia’
It is believed that a full Iron Dome system would cost around £70bn.
“Everyone thinks [an Iron Dome system] is a really good idea, but everyone knows it has to fit within the constrained fiscal circumstances,” the insider said, adding that it would have meant cutting back on other capabilities in the defence budget.
They added: “On the one hand we have a lot of Continental Europe between us and Russia, but there is nothing to our west in the Atlantic – and we could be vulnerable to an attack from Russia on that side.
“We are sitting in the sights of Russian missiles every day. Our dominant security issue is Russia.”
While the UK has RAF Fylingdales as part of Nato’s early warning anti-missile defence capability, and F35s and Typhoons can shoot down drones and cruise missiles, Britain remains vulnerable to ballistic missiles.
A Type 45 destroyer can shoot down ballistic missiles, but this capability relies on the warship being fully operational, equipped with its Sea Viper system, and in UK waters.
RAF Flylingdales provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US governments, with radar capable of tracking objects 3,000 miles into space.
On Monday, Healey told the Commons that the war in Iran must not distract the UK from the threat from Russia.
He said: “This House knows the demands on defence are rising, and while we rightly focus on the immediate conflict in the Middle East, we will continue to step up our support for Ukraine.
“Our adversaries will want us distracted, and may want to take advantage of events for their own gain. We will not let them.”
The government is expected to renew its focus on the threat from Russia and in the High North in the coming days.
An MoD spokesperson said: “Russia remains the primary threat to our security, and we have the resources we need to keep the United Kingdom safe from attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself.
“The UK operates a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working in tandem with our Nato allies.
“This Government has prioritised the need for air and missile defence for UK national security after years of underfunding, and that is why last June, following recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review, we announced up to £1bn in new funding to improve air and missile defence and keep the UK secure.”
