After more than a decade of “hollowing out”, the British military will remain at full capacity for just two months of war, Parliament has been told.
If a war were to break out between Britain and an enemy of similar size, the British military would run out of capacity “within the first few months of an engagement,” said General Sir Nick Carter, the former chief of the defense staff. , House Defense Committee report revealed.
General Houghton told the committee that there has been a “hollowing out” of the military since 2010, resulting in a lack of the country’s combat resilience.
The Ministry of Defense acknowledged that shortcomings in combat readiness include insufficient support for ammunition infrastructure and storage, major port and air base infrastructure, operational medical capabilities, and armored vehicle equipment.
Armed Forces Minister James Heapey maintained that the military cuts were necessary when they were enacted, but conceded that “there are a lot of things that we need to disinvest and reinvest very quickly.” He said the Department of Defense has “tremendous work to do to restore the preparedness that we enjoyed during the Cold War and now need again…”
In addition to suffering from a lack of investment, aid to Ukraine has also reduced military readiness. according to to telegraph paperthe 155th Artillery Regiment is literally running out of guns after being transported to Kiev for the war effort against Russia.
British army will run out of ammunition within a day of fighting Russia, general warns https://t.co/Z5Bb1zLCUb
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 4, 2023
The House of Commons report also said “procurement and delivery bottlenecks” for the 6,000 NLAW anti-tank systems and 155mm artillery ammunition the UK sent to Ukraine meant large-scale replenishment could not begin until later this year. pointed out that it was high. To that end, the report says the Department of Defense should be “strategic about the resources we have, including how we maintain and replenish our stockpiles.”
The British military is also struggling to meet recruitment targets, with around 75,000 soldiers currently serving in the military, about half the number 30 years ago. British military commander General Patrick Saunders has therefore suggested that Britain may need to call in a “civilian army” in the event of a major conflict.
The decline in combat power is already having a major impact, with the naval frigates Westminster and Argyle scheduled to be retired in December. report There is not enough staff to staff them.
Councilor Jeremy Quinn, chairman of the committee, said: Said The findings of the report are as follows. “While it is possible to deploy urgently and deliver on commitments, our research shows that preparedness for full-scale, long-term war has not received enough attention and requires continued intensive focus. It turned out.”
“The fast-paced nature of our work and the constant pressure on our services has led to low retention rates, compounded by poor recruitment and difficulty implementing and maintaining capabilities, creating a vicious cycle.”
The report was published just days after rare criticism of the British military was aired publicly by key ally the United States.US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro Said Last week, he said Britain should “reassess” its current strategy “to take account of the threats that exist today” and that Britain should make “decisions about whether we need to strengthen our armed forces”.
Broken Britain: British aircraft carrier withdraws from leading post-Cold War NATO exercise over propeller issuehttps://t.co/ERhY8rXD0o
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 4, 2024
