British and French paratroopers drop over Germany in 2,500-troop Rhino Titan drill

Rhino Titan in Germany

Thousands of British and French troops took part in Exercise Rhino Titan, a seven-week wargame held at the Sennelager military training centre in Germany. Some 2,500 troops were involved, and 600 British and French paratroopers jumped from four RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft over German territory. The UK government said on 25 October that the airborne element was one of Britain's largest in two decades. The drill pitted the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare, the kind of technology Russia could be expected to use. The scenario was built to show how Nato countries could be defended against a modern attack.

Streeting's warning for 2030

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the threats Britain faces as real and increasingly close to home, and said the armed forces were adapting to them. He said:

The threats we face in the 21st century require an updated, modern approach to warfare - and our adaptable armed forces are preparing accordingly.

Writing in The Telegraph, Streeting argued that what has changed is the capacity of adversaries rather than their willingness to harm the UK. He said that by 2030 their military strength and war economy could put them in a position to attack, which leaves a little over 1,000 days to prepare with allies. Referring to Russia, he said the country has to prepare for the worst in order to prevent it. He also said Britain should be ready for state-sponsored terrorism from Russia, which he described as a real threat rather than a hypothetical one.

Preparing households and infrastructure

The government's Be Ready campaign asks households and businesses whether they are prepared for a possible breakdown in essential services. Every Briton is being urged to keep nine litres of bottled water and three days' worth of food to cope with a weather, cyber or other critical emergency. Households are also advised to keep blankets, cash, a first-aid kit, a torch with batteries and a wind-up FM radio. In October 2026, MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum called for a response across the whole of society to threats against national infrastructure. He warned that hackers could disable banking services, drones could disrupt flights, and cyber attacks on hospitals could affect treatment. Asked whether Britain would return to a calmer period soon, McCallum said:

Our planning assumption is not that this is a temporary blip and we will all be back to normal by next Christmas.

Poland drill and Russia backdrop

At least 1,500 troops from Britain, France and Germany are due to take part in a wargame in Poland in November 2026, alongside Polish forces, according to The Times. That exercise will simulate moving troops, food and fuel, and was agreed at a coalition of the willing summit in July. Its aim is to prepare Nato forces to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the war is over. On Saturday, 24 October, a Ukrainian attack caused water and power restrictions in occupied Crimea, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed head of the peninsula. Russia's defence ministry said 616 drones were shot down overnight across more than 20 regions, and regional authorities in Bryansk reported at least three people killed.