A senior NATO commander has issued a stark warning that Western nations can no longer rely on their homelands remaining safe during future conflicts. Sir John Stringer, NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, emphasized that the proliferation of advanced drones and long-range missiles has eroded the concept of secure "rear areas" that once shielded civilian populations from the direct impact of war.
Stringer noted that during past conflicts, such as the counter-insurgency campaigns in the Middle East, Western nations like the UK could deploy troops thousands of miles from home and return to a 'very secure rear area.' However, he cautioned that 'those days, sadly, are gone.' The rise of cheap, long-range drones and missiles now poses a significant threat to cities, military bases, and critical infrastructure across Europe and North America.
'If you are seeking to protect what you've got, those notions of 'home' and 'away' and safe rear areas are no longer there,' Stringer said during a recent address at the UK's Royal United Services Institute.
The war in Ukraine has underscored these vulnerabilities, with both sides employing drones and missiles at an unprecedented scale. Ukraine's use of long-range drones to strike Russian airfields, for example, has demonstrated how even remote areas once considered safe can now be targeted. Operation Spiderweb, a Ukrainian operation that reportedly damaged 41 Russian warplanes and caused an estimated $7 billion in losses, serves as a stark reminder of this new reality.
The warning comes as NATO nations grapple with the need to bolster their defenses against these evolving threats. With the West's traditional aerial dominance challenged, Stringer stressed that protecting 'the continent of Europe' will require tough choices and significant investment in defense capabilities.