The High Performance Podcast Ex-NATO Commander: Why Britain Isn't Ready for the Unthinkable (E400)
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Mar 23, 2026 General Sir Richard Shirreff, retired British Army general and former NATO deputy commander, reflects on risking global escalation and the need to war-game hard choices. He discusses how distractions create openings for rivals, the limits of bombing, the role of intuition in big decisions, and whether conscription or citizen service should return to boost national resilience.
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War Game Plans With An Independent Red Team
- Do war game every major operation by setting up a red team to role-play the enemy and force-test plans before execution.
- Shirreff describes military war-gaming as a systematic chess-like process led by intelligence to reveal how the enemy can screw up your plan.
Basra 2006 Revealed Strategy Failure From Lack Of Resources
- Shirreff recounts taking command in southeast Iraq (2006) and discovering Basra lacked sufficient troop density and security compared to his Belfast experience.
- He and his team concluded a surge operation was required but lacked political will and resources, leading to strategic failure and withdrawal.
Field Marshal Slim’s Three Components Of Morale
- Morale depends on three linked components: spiritual (purpose), intellectual (a credible plan), and physical (being looked after).
- Shirreff cites Field Marshal Slim to argue leaders must inspire purpose, show professionally thought-through plans, and care for physical conditions.