general sir richard barrons led the uk'sjoint forces command.ught in wars, from the balkans to the middle east and afghanistan. how vulnerable is the west in the new balance of global military power? general sir richard barrons, welcome to hardtalk. thank you very much. how comfortable are you in a civilian suit and out of uniform? well, after nearly a0 years of service in the military, this is still in transition. in transition! well, let's call upon your authority and experience, both with your new suit on, but with your uniform still in the cupboard. how, or what, would you define as the most pressing military threat facing the western world today? i think it's a very complex answer to what, on the surface, is a simple question. but i think we have to recognise that we are at something of a strategic inflection point where the world we've known for the last 25 years is changing very rapidly, and not changing to the advantage of the west and europe, in particular. so we have to acknowledge that are a new range of risks out there. and indeed th