Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has denied that a new air defence system proposed by her party, named "Britannia Shield", is comparable to Israel's Iron Dome. This denial comes despite the term being used in a Conservative party press release and a newspaper article authored by Badenoch herself.
Badenoch stated that the proposed system would not be comparable to Israel's Iron Dome, which is primarily designed to counter short-range attacks. She described the comparison as a "semantic argument" and said the new system would protect Britain from increasing threats.
The Conservative party has proposed allocating £1bn a year towards building the system, amounting to £10bn over 10 years. However, former army general Richard Barrons reportedly told Times Radio that a system similar to Israel's could cost upwards of £100bn.
Badenoch clarified on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the aim was not to build the Iron Dome, but to design something specific for the threats faced in Britain, similar to what other European countries are doing.