The head of MI5 has issued a dramatic nationwide “call to arms”, warning that Britain faces greater and more complex terror threats than it did in 2001, reports BritPanorama.
Writing exclusively for a leading media outlet on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Sir Ken McCallum highlights multiple state threats alongside the enduring dangers of Islamic extremism.
In a significant intervention, he states, “The MI5 I lead in 2026 contends with a threat landscape markedly different to 2001’s.”
He notes, “Sadly, mass-casualty terrorist ambition endures… but the terrorist threat now sits alongside strategic national security threats posed by capable States.”
Sir Ken identifies Russia and China as primary concerns, describing them as “dragons,” while ongoing radical Islamic extremism represents the “snakes.”
His message extends to all sectors, urging collaboration: “This is my call to arms after 25 years: government, business, academia, and the public must treat national security not as the specialist concern of a handful of agencies, but as a shared national endeavour.”
The current threat level in the UK stands at severe, indicating an attack is highly likely. Commemorations for the 2,977 individuals who perished in the September 11 attacks are taking place globally.
Sir Ken argues that the international response to al-Qaeda following the 2001 attacks was crucial, as the group continued to plot mass casualty attacks worldwide. He reflects, “Al-Qaeda had to be not just taken on, but taken down.”
“It worked. Al-Qaeda remains a threat today, but its capabilities are a fraction of 2001’s. That rolling back was not inevitable; it was forced,” he states.
In his public commentary, he cautions against complacency, stressing the need for constant vigilance: “We must resist the temptation to admire the defences we built yesterday and instead build the ones we will need tomorrow.”
Sir Ken joins a chorus of experts, including the late ex-head of MI6, Sir Alex Younger, emphasizing the necessity for heightened preparedness to face external threats from Russia and China.
Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics and China’s assertiveness in global trade have spurred calls for a comprehensive societal response to security challenges, extending beyond the capabilities of security agencies.
He argues, “Contending with rising State-backed aggression – whether sabotage subcontracted to criminals, or covert interference in our democracy, or destructive cyber attacks on power stations – demands new laws as well as new tradecraft.”
Russia has employed a range of tactics, including state-sponsored violence against the UK, as noted by Sir Ken.
“We cannot wait for the next shock to discover who owns the vulnerability, who has the authority to act, or who was supposed to pick up the phone,” he asserts.
Sir Ken presents a realistic outlook that addresses the inevitability of future crises: planning must account for when, where, and how to respond effectively.
“In 2026, unlike 2001, many of the assets, systems and services under threat sit in private sector hands. This means many of the most critical decisions will be taken not in COBR but in boardrooms,” he explains.
He calls for a “new team of teams,” advocating for an open economy while ensuring collaboration across government, industry, and academia to address vulnerabilities and respond swiftly to crises.
Paying tribute to those lost in New York 25 years ago, he concludes, “We owe the victims of 9/11 – and those who will otherwise become the victims of tomorrow’s attack – something more than remembrance. We owe them preparation, resilience, and the courage to adapt before the next shock arrives.”
