Britain's top military officials have called on the government to boost the country's nuclear capabilities, citing the growing threat from Russia and its allies such as North Korea and Iran. The former head of Britain's nuclear defence forces, Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, has expressed fears that the country could be left vulnerable to modern threats and risk "sleepwalking" into military spending cuts at a time when it is needed more than ever.

The colonel criticised the Labour government's budget decisions, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement of an extra £2,9bn for defence without a clear timeframe for delivering on the spending pledge. De Bretton-Gordon said the spending measures appeared to be "blah" because the money was insufficient to meet strategic challenges amid rising tensions in Europe and the Middle East.

He was particularly alarmed by information that Russia could transfer nuclear technology to North Korea in exchange for military support. According to de Bretton-Gordon, North Korea's recent tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile were made possible by Russian assistance. The colonel emphasized that a year ago North Korea could not launch an ICBM at a range of more than 1000 km, and now the missile reaches 7000 km, which raises serious concerns about the growth of Pyongyang's nuclear potential.

Against this backdrop, the former RAF deputy chief also called for the RAF to be re-equipped with tactical nuclear missiles as a symbol of power and a way to deter Russia. Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said such a move was necessary to demonstrate Britain's serious intentions to protect its national interests.

At the same time, the British authorities are refraining from allowing Ukraine to strike Russian forces on Russian territory, fearing an escalation of the conflict. This restriction applies to the use of the transferred British Storm Shadow missiles, which, according to the colonel, could provide significant support to the Ukrainian army. However, such a decision reflects the cautious position of the British leadership, seeking to avoid being drawn into a full-scale conflict with Russia.

De Bretton-Gordon expressed concern that many Labour politicians involved in decision-making lacked military and strategic expertise, which he said could limit their ability to respond adequately to threats.