The Home Guard will be a civilian unit tasked with protecting key infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, airports and telecommunications sites
The Government is reportedly considering the establishment of a Home Guard, akin to the Dad’s Army model, to shield crucial British infrastructure from attacks by hostile nations and terrorists. These plans are rumoured to be part of the Government’s much-anticipated Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which is due for publication in the coming weeks.
The proposed unit is said to draw inspiration from the Home Guard formed during the Second World War in the 1940s as a last line of defence against a potential German invasion of Britain. The original members were typically men who were either too old or young to serve on the frontline, or those deemed unfit or ineligible.
Dad’s Army, a beloved BBC comedy series from the 1960s and 1970s, was based on Home Guard volunteers during the Second World War.
Today’s Home Guard would comprise thousands of volunteers tasked with protecting infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, airports, and telecommunications sites, according to The Sunday Times.
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It is suggested that personnel from this unit could also be deployed to sensitive locations like energy stations powering major airports.
Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK and Europe, was shut down in March following a fire at a nearby electrical substation that disrupted operations, reports the Express.
While specific operational details of the Home Guard remain unclear, it is believed that the volunteers would be civilians, with local hubs established across the country, as reported by The Sunday Times.
The Home Guard is expected to be organised similarly to the Army reserves and will operate independently from existing organisations.
The scheme is likely to provide support to units like the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, which safeguards British nuclear sites.
The Home Guard initiative is reportedly a central component of the SDR, which will assess the threats facing the UK and how the nation should respond.
While there are no immediate concerns about an invasion, the review has identified vulnerabilities in Britain’s critical national infrastructure due to hostile states.
In the wake of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, there have been several incidents in the Baltic Sea where power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged – many of these have been attributed to Moscow, a claim that Russia has consistently refuted.
The SDR purportedly advocates for the Royal Navy to take on a more prominent role in protecting such underwater infrastructure, while the Home Guard would concentrate on land-based sites.
Countries including Denmark, Germany and Sweden currently maintain a form of Home Guard.