Britain’s army is so small that Brits could be called into future wars, the army chief will say on Wednesday morning.
In his speech, General Patrick Sanders will emphasize the need for the government to “mobilize the nation” in the event of conflict with Russia.
He will say that civilians would have to be drafted into the armed forces if war broke out amid Britain’s worst military crisis in decades.
This comes days after NATO military commander Admiral Rob Bauer said the military alliance must prepare for conflict with Vladimir Putin’s forces over the next 20 years.
He said large numbers of civilians would have to be mobilized if conflict escalated in Europe, and governments would need to consider “mobilization, reserve and conscription.”
Admiral Bauer said: “The discussion is broader…people need to understand that they have a role to play…that not everything can be planned and not everything will work out in the next 20 years. It’s recognition.”
Patrick, who will step down as chief of staff in six months, does not support conscription but believes Britons need to “change” their mindset to think more like soldiers. daily telegraph.
General Patrick Saunders is set to issue the warning at the International Armored Vehicles Conference in Twickenham this morning (Andrew Matthews/PA)
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He will speak alongside other military speakers at the International Armored Vehicles Conference in Twickenham from 10.15am.
Patrick’s intervention comes as the military faces increasing recruiting challenges, but continues to focus on strengthening recruitment and improving retention rates, and last summer introduced pay increases for its members.
Last week, former British Army chief of staff General Lord Dannatt criticized the army’s shrinking size. He said the number had fallen from 102,000 in 2006 to 74,000 today, a “rapid decline”.
Writing in The Times, he drew parallels to the 1930s, when the “deplorable” state of the British military failed to stop Hitler. “There is a serious risk that history will repeat itself,” he said.
He pointed to growing geopolitical uncertainty and said, “If our military is not strong enough to deter future invasions from Moscow or China, it will not be a small war to fight, it will be a big war.” Deaf,” he said.
General Lord Dannatt, a former chief of staff in the British Army, blamed the shrinking size of the Army. He said the number has fallen from 102,000 in 2006 to 74,000 today and is “a rapid decline.”
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Under the government’s proposals, the size of the regular army would be reduced from a planned 82,000 soldiers to 73,000 by 2025.
But the Times’ analysis suggests that number could fall below that number as early as next year, and the sharp decline could continue.
If the military continues to draw down troops at its current pace, the number of regular soldiers will fall below 70,000 by 2026, according to figures compiled by the newspaper.
Lord Dannatt said pay and conditions “should be urgently reviewed” and that “pay to attract new recruits and retain trained current personnel, as well as to address the poor quality of some military accommodation.” Raising taxes should be a priority.”
It comes as counterterrorism police warned that the UK faces the most “serious threat” of hostile foreign interference and espionage since the Cold War due to the “triple threat” of Russia, China and Iran. is.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jewkes said: “I think the whole environment is very different, probably the most serious threat around espionage and foreign interference, and these nation-state threats are the most serious since the Cold War.” There is,” he said.
Additional report by PA
