Britain’s next war won’t be an away game: Q&A with former head of Defence Intelligence

Former head of British Defence Intelligence, Jim Hockenhull, revealed that Britain’s next war won’t be a traditional battlefield conflict, but a cyber war. He explained how his team, led by Ben Wallace, proactively declassified intelligence about Russia’s invasion plans, including a map of their intended routes, to expose Kremlin’s intentions and deter aggression. Hockenhull emphasized that intelligence is a continuous process, not a static stockpile, and that sharing information with allies and Ukraine was crucial. He argued that deterrence should shift from nuclear theory to leveraging truth to counter disinformation. Despite initial assessments predicting a swift fall of Kyiv, the Ukrainian resistance and Russia’s own shortcomings demonstrated the limits of intelligence and highlighted the importance of understanding an adversary’s intentions, not just their plans. The UK’s new Defence Investment Plan is focused on cyber defense, reflecting the evolving nature of modern warfare.