The former head of the British Secret Service MI6 has suggested that Britain may need to introduce a form of recruitment in the face of new international threats.
Sir Alex Younger said the government could force Britons to "give their service in one form or another" .
The former agent suggested a new form of engagement that will not amount to full military service for everyone.
" In extreme cases, I think we would see something similar to the model that, as far as I know, exists in countries like Sweden, where the government theoretically has the power to compel people to provide their service in one form or another, but that power is only exercised when it is truly necessary ," he told the BBC's 'Today' podcast.
Sir Alex stressed that he was not proposing “ general conscription ”, but was interested in “ ways in which the country as a whole would participate and contribute to security in the event of an emergency ”.
Sweden reinstated a form of conscription for those over 18 in 2017, in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.
In another development, families in Britain have been urged to prepare a "survival kit" for 72 hours in case Russian attacks on power pipelines cause power outages in the country.
Security sources told the Mail on Sunday that every household should be "ready for any eventuality", to prepare for possible sabotage of British infrastructure by Vladimir Putin.
Every emergency kit should include enough bottled water and dry food for each family member for three days. It should also have medications, a radio and battery-powered flashlight, identification documents, and a multi-function Swiss Army knife.
This warning comes in the wake of growing concerns about Russian activities in the North Sea, near vital energy links to continental Europe.
One of Putin's spy ships, Yantar, has recently been spotted mapping Britain's critical underwater infrastructure.
In another development, sensors thought to have been placed by Russia to spy on Britain's Vanguard-class nuclear submarines have been found in waters off the country's coast.
Nearly 40 percent of Britain's gas supply is imported from Norway, most of which comes through a single, 700-mile-long pipeline called Langeled. Vital telecommunications cables also run underwater. (A2 Televizion)
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