Could Russia attack the UK?

   Is military exercise a chilling forewarning of dramatic events to come?

   According to comments made by the former head of the Royal Air Force (RAF), Sir Michael Graydon, the UK could not sustain an attack from Russia. Other RAF personnel have also claimed that a Putin-led attack on the United Kingdom would completely saturate the defenses of Britain. The comments come in the context of an incident which occurred on Thursday, during which RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range bombers. This occurred just off the coast of the southern British county of Cornwall.

UK Vulnerable

   Russia has naturally stated that the flight was simply a planned patrol, and that it has not violated any aspect of international law. The British prime minister, however, was moved to comment that Russia was “trying to make some sort of point,” but other military personnel have suggested that the threat to the UK mainland is much more serious.

   Graydon stated in an interview with the British tabloid the Daily Mail that he doubted whether it would be possible for the UK to sustain a “shooting war” against Russia. He stated that the capabilities of the United Kingdom is roughly half what it was previously, and that Russia was probably engaging in these reconnaissance missions in order to monitor the defenses in Britain.

   The former member of the RAF hierarchy went on to suggest that the mission Russia had engaged in probably revealed to them that the UK is by no means as sharp in this area as it once was. Graydon stated that it would be clear to the Russians that they knew they were engaged in a provocative act, and that it could be a timely one from a Russian perspective considering that Western air defense is relatively minimal compared to its past might.

   Other RAF personnel suggested that the situation is even more grim.