Britain’s air force would struggle to operate in Arctic conditions, the head of the RAF has suggested.
Sir Harv Smyth, Air Chief Marshal, said decades of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq meant the service was “incredibly good” in temperatures above 35C.
However, he was concerned the RAF had lost its edge to fight effectively in the -30C conditions of the High North.
“It’s a much more hostile environment,” Sir Harv said in a speech at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London.
Keir Starmer visited the British RAF base in Akrotiri, Cyprus
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PA“We have become an air force that’s incredibly good at operating in the Middle East.
“I know I can send any squadron out the door and they can work in plus 35 degrees and make airplanes work and fly really good missions.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure we could do that in -30C.”
The Armed Forces built up expertise in fighting in the Arctic during the Cold War, but since that ended, its focus has been predominantly on flying in warmer climates.
This shift left a gap in the amount of specialist kit needed by the RAF to deploy a force for a sustained period of time to the Arctic.
It is understood areas of concern for RAF leaders include the availability of warm clothing for personnel and lubricants to keep jets flying and generators running.
Sir Harv added that he hoped to “pivot back” to an era where engineers were used to working in extremely cold temperatures.
Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer revealed the Navy would send a carrier strike group of warships to the Arctic this year.
Members of the RAF marching through the streets of Stirling | PA
The UK purchased 12 new F-35A fighter jets last year | PAIt will be led by the £3.2bn aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which will have a squadron of F-35b stealth jets.
The measure comes amid escalating concerns over the threat posed by Russia in the region, and political pressure from US president Donald Trump for Europe to step up.
Last month, Mr Trump triggered alarm after claiming he was seeking to take over Greenland from Denmark, citing security concerns. The US later rowed back on the threats.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference last week, Sir Keir warned we “must be ready to fight” and do whatever “it takes to protect our people, our values and our way of life”.
“As Europe, we must stand on our own two feet,” the Prime Minister added.
“That means being bolder, it means putting away petty politics and short-term concerns. It means acting together to build a stronger Europe and a more European Nato.”
