Best of the Spectator Coffee House Shots: how prepared is Britain for war?
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Feb 19, 2026 General Sir Nick Carter, former Chief of the Defence Staff and head of the British Army, shares hard-won military leadership perspective. He discusses Europe's need to step up, vulnerabilities like undersea cables and supply lines, limits of UK deployable forces and procurement slowness, and how AI and cyber reshape future combat.
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Britain Falling Short On European Leadership
- General Sir Nick Carter felt dispirited at Munich because Britain is not stepping up militarily as fast as needed.
- He warned that European partners expect more British leadership but see us lagging behind.
Nuclear Costs Squeeze Conventional Forces
- The nuclear deterrent consumes roughly 25% of the UK defence budget and constrains conventional forces.
- Carter argues this budget allocation weakens Britain's conventional deterrence against regional threats.
US Still Key, Europe Not Yet Ready
- US capability remains NATO's glue but Americans are refocusing to other priorities like China.
- Carter doubts midsize European powers have yet formed the collaborative industrial and ISR capacities to fill the gap.