Britain’s military has been shrinking for years, despite threats posed by Russia’s war on Ukraine and the tensions in the Middle East.
Today, a parliamentary committee laid bare the challenges facing the Government and defence industry, saying the UK ‘cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand’.
The dire warning comes after warnings that the Ministry of Defence has no ‘credible plan’ to fund the armed forces the government wants, leaving the nation vulnerable.
The committee’s chairman, Labour’s Tan Dhesi, said: ‘Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, unrelenting disinformation campaigns, and repeated incursions into European airspace mean that we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand.
‘Government must be willing to grasp the nettle and prioritise homeland defence and resilience.’
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The UK does have manpower, but worries about preparedness in case of the worst possible scenario are increasing.
Out of a population of more than 68,000,000, only 25,074,962 Brits are fit for service in the military. Currently, around 184,000 are serving actively.
In April this year, active servicemen in the British Army fell to the lowest number since 1793, at just below 74,000 soldiers.
32,000 are serving in the Royal Navy and Marines, with around 30,000 in the Royal Air Force, The Week reported.
When Metro compared Britain’s military strength to Russia’s, Russia is more powerful – almost unmatched – despite continued major losses on the frontline in Ukraine.
In another damning report, a simulation of a European war showed that the British Army would run out of ammunition in only ten days.
Dr Robert Johnson of Oxford University mentioned in the report that the UK is still falling short of its ‘claimed leadership position’.
If the UK is to help defend Europe and NATO, he said, ‘it simply does not have the mass, let alone the munitions, at the moment to do the job.’
Despite this, looking at global rankings, the UK ranks sixth overall; 15th for airpower; 55th for land power – behind Nato members Germany, Spain, Poland and Romania – and 31st in fleet strength.
MPs also renewed their criticism of the MoD’s procurement processes, saying that slow delivery of new systems had caused gaps in military capability.
Only two of the 46 equipment programmes are currently rated as ‘highly likely’ to be delivered on time, on budget and on quality.
Aside from the available manpower, British airpower, land power, and naval forces cannot stand up to nations like Russia and China.
The stark warning from parliament today also cited the UK’s failure to meet its NATO obligations and its heavy reliance on the United States for intel, satellites, troop transport and refuelling of planes.
Preparedness of the average citizen is also a point of worry when it comes to Britain’s defence, Mr Tan added.
‘The Government cannot shy away from direct engagement with the public. Wars aren’t won just by generals but by the whole of the population getting behind the armed forces and playing our part,’ he stressed.
‘There needs to be a coordinated effort to communicate with the public on the level of threat we face and what to expect in the event of conflict.’
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