Channeling Britain's military past, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon invoked the Battle of Britain, comparing the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) to European fascists in a speech on air power at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Fallon said that Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) are "again spearheading the counter attack" in what he described as the "new Battle of Britain." Between July and October 1940, air force pilots from Britain and their foreign counterparts fought off a Nazi air offensive in British airspace on seven separate occasions. The sequence of military operations are commonly known as the "Battle of Britain." Reflecting on the threat IS poses to the West, Fallon described the terror group as "a fascist enemy prepared to kill civilians and opponents alike." Following the government's recent decision to meet NATO's recommended military spending target of 2 percent, Fallon said he "would have been horrified if we hadn't committed to the 2 percent budget."
