British Army Chief, General Sir Patrick Sanders, recently warned the UK to train and equip a ‘citizen army’ to ready the country for a potential land war.
The Chief of General Staff said Britain’s army is ‘too small’ and urged ministers to ‘mobilise the nation’ in preparation for a wider conflict against Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine.
More recently tensions heightened between the United States and Iran, after a drone attack killed three American soldiers.
With Russia and China warning the US against a ‘cycle of retaliation’ after Joe Biden threatened to target their ally, MailOnline takes a look at the five places on Earth that could be safe in the event of World War III.
Wood Norton, Worcestershire
Wood Norton was purchased by the BBC at the beginning of the Second World War and is said to be the broadcaster’s base in the event of a crisis
The former Wartime Broadcasting System based Wood Norton (pictured) reportedly can house up to 90 BBC staff members
The bunker is tucked away in the Worcestershire hillsides and boasts several storeys of architecture (Pictured the BBC’s war book)
With only a small radio mast and a security barrier in sight, you would perhaps miss the huge network of tunnels running deep into the Worcestershire forest.
Originally bought by the BBC at the beginning of World War II, the bunker’s initial purpose was to be a hidden base for the broadcaster in the event a crisis in London.
According to GloucestershireLive, Wood Norton is used as a training base for sound engineers and technical staff at the broadcasting company.
The bunker also has a mast which would continue broadcasting messages from the BBC if the UK were ever to go into crisis mode.
Also referred to as PAWN, Protected Area Wood Norton, the site is hidden deep in the Worcestershire hillside, boasting several storeys of architecture underground.
The broadcaster outlined in documents released, also known as the War Book, in 2016 that the base would be utilised in the event of a grave attack on the UK.
The facility is reportedly able to house up 90 BBC staff – including 12 news editors and sub-editors – and also boasts a ping-pong table.
Raven Rock Mountain Complex, Pennsylvania
The Raven Rock military complex is just was shrouded in mystery ever since construction began in 1948
Dubbed ‘Harry’s Hole’ after President Truman, the facility received $652 million worth of upgrades following 9/11 and boasts an office space of a whopping 900,000 square feet
The Raven Rock Mountain Complex has maintained an air of mystique ever since they began building the facility in 1948.
Dubbed ‘Harry’s Hole’ after President Truman, who gave the project the go-ahead, the Pennsylvanian facility first opened its doors in 1953.
Raven’s Rock was constructed with the intention of being a ‘centrepiece of a large emergency hub’ according to Garret Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself – While The Rest Of Us Die.
Boasting 100,000 feet of office space, the bunker could facilitate up to 1,400 people.
The base also has two 1,000 foot-long tunnels as well as 34-ton blast doors to help reduce the impact of a possible bomb attack.
Even though the site was placed into standby mode by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, $652 million worth of upgrades were pumped into the site following 9/11.
According to Graff, the underground city was kitted out with 27 new fuel tanks in 2012, with both having the ability to carry 20,000 gallons.
Presently, the bunker is thought to have a whopping 900,000 square feet of office space, as well as the capacity for between 3,000 to 5.000 government employees.
Family members would not be permitted to reside in the base.
He said: ‘Families would have been prohibited from Raven Rock — as they would have been from effectively all of the Doomsday bunkers.
‘Athough in recent years as the veil of complete secrecy has lifted, family members of Raven Rock personnel are allowed to visit it for specific ceremonies.
‘So at the very least, family members today can picture where their relatives will spend Doomsday, even as they’re barred outside.’
Peters Mountain, Virginia
Situated deep in the Appalachian mountains, Peters Mountain serves as an ‘undercover’ AT&T communication station
Peters Mountain, situated in the vast Appalachian Mountains of Virginia has been there for some time, functioning as an AT&T communications station.
When you spot the sight you can even see an AT&T logo painted on a helicopter landing pad.
It serves as one of several secret centres also known as AT&T project offices, according to The New York Post.
These facilities are essential for the US government’s continuity planning.
The centre tucked away in Appalachia has the ability to house a few hundred people.
According to Graff, the bunker has received renovations costing $67 million in recent years.
He stated that an attack on Washington were to occur, it would potentially be used as a relocation site for intelligence agencies.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex – NORAD
Cheyenne Mountain Complex, also known as the headquarter of NORAD, has never been kept a secret from the public
The enormous base, can house up to a thousand people per month and is said to have an underground lake
The bunker, which costs an eye-watering $250 million a year to run, was briefly put on standby before the Obama administration
Almost $40 million was invested into the facility in order to kit it out with the best technology, including 15 console displays and three room-sized Philco 212 computers
The ‘underground city’ also has five chambers with their own fuel and water – and even has an underground lake
Although Peters Mountain and Raven Rock were kept under wraps from the public, one bunker has always been public since its inception.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex, which is located in El Paso County, Colorado, is a defence bunker for the United States Space Force.
Better known as the headquarters for NORAD, (North American Aerospace Defense Command), the site was constructed in the 1950 in response to Cold War paranoia.
The five chambers within the extraordinary bunker all have reservoirs for fuel and water – and in one section they reportedly even have an underground lake.
Almost $40 million was invested into the facility in order to kit it out with the best technology, including 15 console displays and three room-sized Philco 212 computers.
In the midst of a crisis, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex can hold up to 1,000 people a month.
The facility, which costs an eye-watering $250-million a year to run, was on the brink of closure prior to 9/11.
Although it was briefly put on standby mode in 2006, the Obama administration opted to breath a new lease of life into the base.
After running full-scale continuity drills of great magnitude at the bunker, the Pentagon declared that it would be re-staffing the bunker in 2015, The New York Post reports.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
