Threats Now on Europe's DOORSTEP - Pay up or RISK Normal Britons, Army Chief to Warn

 THE UK'S ability to defend itself "will be eroded" if desperately needed funding is not secured and harrowingly threats we face "are not thousands of miles away but on Europe's doorstep", the head of the British army will warn, Daily Express writes. 

General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the General Staff, will issue the worrying warning that the UK is in real trouble of not being able to respond to threats having neglected skills and equipment to counter hi-tech, capable armies.

In a speech at the Royal United Service Institute today, he will say: "State-based competition is now being employed in more novel and increasingly integrated ways and we must be ready to deal with them.

"The threats we face are not thousands of miles away but are now on Europe's doorstep - we have seen how cyber warfare can be both waged on the battlefield and to disrupt normal people's lives - we in the UK are not immune from that."

The UK currently spends more on defence than any other European nation, paying out £36billion last year compared to France's £32billion.

It pales in comparison to Russian spending that is believed to be about £50billion a year and army chiefs are worried about Russian dominance in areas including artillery, electronic warfare and cyber skills.

Sir Nick will continue: "The time to address these threats is now - we cannot afford to sit back."

The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, along with a cross-party group of backbench MPS, has argued that any further cuts to the Army or Royal Navy would prove to be disastrous to Britain's military might.