A new four-part television drama, The Wargame, simulates an escalating crisis involving a Russian attack on British soil, exposing significant gaps in the United Kingdom's military defenses and civil preparedness.
Based on a podcast from Sky News and Tortoise Media, the crisis simulation features real-life former senior politicians operating as a fictional emergency response committee at a Cobra meeting.
Set nine months in the future, the narrative unfolds as a hostile state conducts covert attacks on British infrastructure and personnel.
The simulated Cabinet includes former politician Michael Gove playing the role of Prime Minister, accompanied by former ministers Nicola Sturgeon, Penny Mordaunt, Harriet Harman, Sayeeda Warsi, and Jim Murphy.
General Sir Richard Barrons, former joint forces commander, participates as the chief of the defence staff alongside former US official Anthony Scaramucci as the US secretary of state.
The fictional scenario begins with the assassination of two RAF pilots outside a pub in Loughborough, alongside a malware attack targeting regional ambulance services and the discovery of a Russian submarine near undersea infrastructure cables in British waters.
Former cabinet ministers playing the fictional government expressed surprise at the limited options available to the UK during an escalating military confrontation.
The drama highlights the consequences of three decades of reductions in British defense capability and the lack of large-scale civil defense systems.
When asked for an assessment of the current state of sea, land, air, and missile defenses during the simulation, military advisers replied: "We've got bugger all."
Addressing the timeframe for national defense in a direct military conflict with Russia, General Sir Richard Barrons provided an explicit estimate to the simulated Cabinet: "we've got about two weeks' fight."
In response to requests for immediate American military assistance, former US communications director Anthony Scaramucci, portraying the US secretary of state, delivered a sharp warning regarding Britain's standing: "You have to accept your middle-power status."
He further cautioned the assembled British officials about relying on Washington during European crises: "You guys can't be calling Washington every time there's a problem in Europe."
Production details reveal that the scenario was designed alongside Russia specialists who constructed a "Red Team" to model plausible Kremlin strategies.
These strategies included diplomatic maneuvering and threats to British interests abroad, though several intricate political challenges were excluded from the final broadcast cut.
The broadcast series aired on Sky and Now, accompanied by a live discussion program titled The Wargame: Aftermath hosted by Cathy Newman following the finale.
