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9 Mar, 2016 16:33

Genetic weapons, human swarms & angry youth pose future threats to British security – report

Genetic weapons, human swarms & angry youth pose future threats to British security – report

Swarm attacks, angry global youth and genetic weapons are among the futuristic threats facing the UK in the coming decades, according to a report by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC).

The Future Operating Environment 2035 study attempts to predict the threats Britain will face in the coming decades.

Some dangers, such as the threat of the illicit trade in nuclear materials, have long been a concern. Others, such as those associated with the swelling population of young disenfranchised males from the developing world, are relatively novel.

Against the backdrop of the current Trident nuclear weapons renewal debate and a potential Brexit, the report comments on both military nuclear capacity and multinational alliances.

The report maintains that “limited tactical nuclear exchanges in conventional conflicts” cannot be ruled out and argues that the EU is likely to play a large part in defense and security in the coming years.

It says future military leaders will have to be conscious of “swarm attacks ... launched in the physical environment through a combination of mass, low technology and automated systems.

These could be provisioned through crowd-sourcing and “executed through multiple access points in multiple countries, making deterrence and defense against them almost impossible.

Also of concern is the potential use of genetic weapons which could target particular ethnic groups, as the world population rapidly increases.

Disenfranchised male youth in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia could become a source of danger for Britain, the report claims. It is feared that such a “reservoir of disaffected young men” could be susceptible to radicalization.

The report suggests that investment in education and healthcare could head off some of the latter issues, leading to “job creation, economic growth, and positive social development.

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