Somali Piracy in 2026 is Not Just a Resurgence of a Past Problem

Christoph Bergs, an air power specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, said the extra tanker would be useful, but not decisive. “The Saudis already have this [refuelling] capability,” he said. “What an additional aircraft allows is potentially to increase the number of tanker orbits that could be fielded over a 24-hour period.”

There are two worlds at sea at the moment...One is the world of the Russians on operations, having a fight, cyber attacks, sabotage, and Ukrainian special forces sinking Russian ships wherever they can find them. The other is the world that most people inhabit, the one in which retired couples on a yacht go on a jolly to Cherbourg to stock up on cheese and wine for the weekend. What’s happening is that the fabric between those two worlds is starting to fray."

Dan Marks, at the Royal United Services Institute, says the UK Government should also lay out a more coherent China strategy, instead of making ad hoc decisions about firms such as Mingyang or the Sizewell C nuclear power station, where China General Nuclear was ousted as an investor.

The speech rightly focused on two major challenges facing Europe: improving Europe’s response to hybrid provocations and acquiring strategic enablers.

Europe must turn financial intelligence into action against sanctions evasion and organised crime.

[The proposals] mark a genuine attempt to close the gap between the pace of hybrid attacks, and Europe's traditionally consensus-driven response.