The British military has been shrinking for years – and its capabilities have faced more scrutiny after yesterday’s sobering warning from NATO.
Each of the 32 Nato member countries – including Britain – must prepare for a war on a scale ‘our grandparents and great-grandparents endured’.
Nato chief Mark Rutte urged allies to step up their defence efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia.
In a speech in Berlin, he said that too many allies do not feel the urgency of the threat in Europe and that they must rapidly increase defence spending and production to prevent a war on the scale of that seen by past generations.
It comes after 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’.
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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 under 74,000 soldiers.
Some 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 and Russia on military strength, 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’.
He said the UK ‘simply does not have the mass, let alone the munitions, at the moment to do the job’ of helping to defend Europe and NATO.
Despite this, the UK ranks sixth overall in the global ranking – 15th for airpower, 31st in fleet strength and 55th for land power behind Nato members Germany, Spain, Poland and Romania.
This year, MPs also slammed the MoD’s procurement processes, saying the slow delivery of new systems caused gaps in military capability.
Only two out of the 46 equipment programmes are currently rated as ‘highly likely’ to be delivered on time, within budget and be good quality.
Aside from the available manpower, British airpower, land power and naval forces cannot stand up to nations like Russia and China.
MPs have 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.’
What did NATO warn about?
‘Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now,’ Mark Rutte warned.
‘Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.’
It was only last month that General Sir Richard Barrons warned that the UK needs to be ready for a long war, but with the speed of production, at best, we will be quite ready in about 10 years’.
Ever since the end of the Cold War, the government has not invested in the ‘things it needs for a long war,’ instead leaving them to ‘wither’.
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