Are we ready for war? Welcome to The i Paper’s new opinion series in which our writers tackle the unexpected question that has suddenly become unavoidable in recent years.

The Prime Minister has said that we are moving towards a war footing. The former chief of the general staff has stated that Britain should prepare for the possibility of war by 2030. And yet, a report by MPs last week said we are not prepared.

What would being prepared look like?

We have been advised by Government to prepare a 72-hour emergency kit, in case of a national emergency. The advice, while sensible, is woefully inadequate. It fails to inform society of the truth of what we may be facing. I recall that last time the public was advised to prepare for an emergency, the Covid-19 pandemic, the result was a run on toilet paper.

So, we need to re-think what we mean by preparation.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most nations have been sleepwalking under a false sense of security. Military forces have been drawn down and defence expenditure slashed. This weakness was dramatically exploited by the master opportunist Vladimir Putin in 2022, when he invaded Ukraine. Although late to the fight, Ukraine has demonstrated how it is possible to rapidly mobilise effective defence.

We must face the new world order: Russia is supported by an axis of autocratic states with leaders who behave like Bond villains, with little regard for human life.

In this cold world it will be fatal to not prepare. But the elephant in the room is this: what are we expected to prepare for?

The answer is a simply a matter of risk assessment. What is the most serious threat we face? Armed aggression by a major nation state with effective land, sea and air forces, cyber proficiency, space operability and a nuclear arsenal.........

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