Stretched Armed Forces may be unable to f ight all-out war, MPs warn
BRITAIN’S overstretched Armed Forces may be unable to fight an all-out war, and chronic shortages of troops and equipment are being covered up in a ‘veil of secrecy’, MPs have warned.
In a damning report released today, the Defence Select Committee concluded the Army is the UK’s ‘weakest service’ due to ‘significant capability deficiencies’ – which included drastic shortages of vehicles, tanks and even ammunition.
After facing a wall of silence while compiling their Ready For War report, the MPs urged military top brass and Ministers to be more transparent about the shortcomings so they can be addressed urgently. The report further highlights war-readiness issues with the Royal Navy’s £3.5billion aircraft carriers, too.
Despite spending about £50 billion a year on defence, ‘sustained ongoing investment’ is needed for the UK to fight a ‘high-intensity war’, today’s report concludes.
It comes just days after an outgoing Army chief said the public would have to be called up to fight if Britain goes to war because the regular Forces are too small.
In his first major speech as Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps said the West had moved from a post-war to a ‘pre-war’ world, raising the prospect of conflicts involving Russia, China and North Korea.
Sir Jeremy Quin, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said: ‘A steady, continuous drip of operations and ongoing commitments has meant the military is unable to devote sufficient training and resources to high-intensity war fighting. On top of this, the high tempo of operations and unrelenting pressure on our Services has led to a drop in retention, compounded by a period of low recruitment and difficulties introducing and maintaining capabilities, thereby creating a vicious cycle.’
The committee looked into the Armed Forces’ ability to respond to a crisis and found that, at the end of 2023, more than 7,000 service personnel were deployed on some 40 operations overseas.
In recent months a Royal Navy task group has been positioned in the Mediterranean after the Hamas attack on Israel and HMS Trent stationed in Guyana after Venezuela tried to claim one of its territories.
But MPs were most concerned by the military’s ‘war-fighting readiness’, saying its ability at a sustained high intensity was ‘in doubt’.
Witnesses told the inquiry that the Armed Forces would struggle in a major conflict, claiming the British Army does not have enough new infantry fighting vehicles, Challenger tanks or adequate missile defence capabilities. The Royal Navy is suffering from delays to a new frigate programme and an ‘over-tasked’ aircraft fleet, while the RAF has a shortfall of combat aircraft, delays to new Chinook helicopters and too few pilots.
The heads of the Forces also raised concerns about stockpiles used by Ukraine reducing the amount available to the UK.
The report warned of ‘capacity shortfalls’, with the MoD admitting to only recruiting five service personnel for every eight who leave.
MPs found that basic staples of national security, such as the number of warships the Royal Navy can muster, are no longer being acknowledged because the situation is so bad. They also said it was ‘unacceptable’ that a lack of transparency had compromised their attempts to assess readiness.
Previously the information they needed was in the public domain. Today it is either graded as classified or simply not recorded.
The MPs said: ‘We cannot adequately fulfil our duty to the House of Commons and to the electorate without fuller and more timely access to information about sensitive, but vitally important issues.’
And Former Labour Defence Minister Kevan Jones added: ‘The MoD needs to lift the veil of secrecy put in place to hide the truth and be clear with the people about the limitations of our Armed Forces.’
An Mod spokesman said: ‘Our Armed Forces are always ready to protect and defend the UK.’
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‘The MoD needs to be clear about the limitations’