The UK government appears determined to reduce the size of its army from 77,450 to 73,000 soldiers, marking its smallest force in 300 years. This move has raised concerns about the British army's capability to combat threats, particularly from Russia.
Following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western leaders have been reevaluating their defense and security policies. Many EU countries have significantly increased their defense spending, with a 16 percent rise across the bloc since 2022.
Countries like Latvia have reintroduced compulsory military service, and Germany is considering doing the same. The need for more military personnel has become evident, given Russia's extensive reserves and its willingness to incur heavy casualties in the conflict with Ukraine. Despite this, the UK plans to reduce its army size.
In comparison, France has over 110,000 soldiers, and Germany is expanding its armed forces to over 200,000 personnel. This reduction in the UK's army size persists despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's promise to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030.
The decision has caused alarm among military leaders across Europe. A senior EU general emphasized the importance of troop numbers in light of the threat from Russia, stating, “You must have mass, you must have numbers. In Ukraine, you can see, we must have mass to fight the Russian army.”
Former British Lieutenant Colonel Glen Grant expressed concerns about the UK's vulnerability to Russian attacks, highlighting the nation's reliance on critical infrastructure and its current military weakness. He noted, "Britain is particularly vulnerable because we're an island... We're actually quite weak in terms of being able to guard what we've got."
Grant urged the UK government to expand its military reserves and strengthen its defense industry, emphasizing the need for investments in drones and air defense systems to protect against ballistic missile threats.
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