The Conservative MP spent the day at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) trade exhibition at ExCel London, speaking to innovative companies in the business. During his visit, he warned the UK “can’t afford to stand still in defence”, especially in an age of increasing global competition.
Wallace said: “Our adversaries have studied our strengths and weaknesses. And, over the past few decades, they’ve been progressively whittling down our western edge. Today they are not only challenging us in the traditional domains. They are becoming masters of the sub-threshold.
“No longer limited by geography or lines on the map, they are using bots to disseminate misinformation, hackers to break into global systems and UAVs to target their deep artillery fire. The threat has moved on and we must move with it.”
He expressed that this demands a “step-change” in the relationship between government, industry and the UK’s international counterparts...