Britain must “train and equip” its “national army” for war on land, the army chief has warned.
Outgoing Chief of Staff General Patrick Sanders noted that allies in Eastern Europe and Northern Europe were “laying the foundation for national mobilization,” but said it was still “not enough.”
The general, who has publicly criticized the military’s staffing shortages, said in a speech today that building up the Army’s strength for potential conflict needs to be a “national undertaking.”
The comments are seen as a warning that British men and women should prepare to be called up to the armed forces if NATO goes to war with Russia.
However, Downing Street later pushed back against the proposal, insisting there were no plans to conscription.
This comes as Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a speech last week that the world is moving “from a post-war world to a pre-war world” and that the UK has “a whole defense ecosystem ready” to protect the homeland. This comes in response to a warning that it was necessary to confirm the Britain and her allies must increase military spending.
Sir Patrick’s comments on Wednesday, made during a speech at the International Armored Vehicles Conference in west London, are not the first time he has urged Britain’s military to be better prepared for conflict.
Speaking in 2022, months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the army chief declared, “This is our 1937 moment.”
He referred to the preparations made for the start of World War II and warned that the British Army should be “highly prepared”.
In a speech today, Sir Patrick said Britain could not rely on naval and air power, insisting: “We must be able to fight and win wars reliably on land.”
“We need an Army that is designed to expand rapidly to enable the first tier, resource the second tier, and train and equip the citizen forces that will follow.” he said.
“Within the next three years, we should be able to believe in the story of a 120,000-strong British Army, including our Reserve and Strategic Reserves.” But this is not enough.
Top military leaders are not thought to be in favor of conscription, but NATO leaders have warned allies to be prepared to take whatever action is necessary to fight Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Speaking at today’s International Armored Vehicles Conference in Twickenham, General Patrick said: “Our friends in Eastern and Northern Europe, who feel the approaching Russian threat even more acutely, are already acting cautiously and are considering national mobilization. “We’re laying the foundations,” he said.
“As the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee warned just last week, and as the Swedish government has done, preparing for Sweden’s membership in NATO will allow us to place our societies at war if necessary. It is now not just desirable, but essential, to take preparatory measures to
“We are not immune, so as the pre-war generation we must prepare as well. It’s a national effort.”
“Ukraine brutally shows that regular armies start wars and militias win them.”
He also called for more support for the Army, saying service members “obviously want equipment that can deliver lethal capabilities.”
Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed with General Patrick about the possibility of calling the nation to war with Russia, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson today said “no”.
Asked if the prime minister might eliminate conscription in future circumstances, a spokesperson said: “There is no suggestion of that.” The government has no intention of following through with that.
“The British Army has a proud tradition of being a volunteer force. We have no plans to change that.”
The spokesperson insisted that “hypothetical scenarios” about the possibility of future conflict were “unhelpful”, adding: “We invest huge amounts of money in our armed forces, with £50 billion invested this year alone. “There is,” he added.
If conscription is introduced, it will be the first time in more than 60 years that Britons will be required to serve in combat.
Compulsory military service was introduced during World War I under the Military Service Act of 1916.
The National Service (Armed Forces) Act was enacted in 1939 on the day Britain declared war on Germany at the outbreak of World War II.
This law required all men of fighting age between the ages of 18 and 41 to participate.
After World War II ended, a new National Service Act was passed, requiring all young men between the ages of 17 and 21 to serve in the military for 18 months and remain on the reserve list for several years. .
National service continued until the last soldier was discharged in 1963.
Conscientious objectors can refuse, but will be required to justify their objections to participation in court.
Sir Patrick has been a vocal critic of cuts to troop numbers and military spending.
He will be replaced by General Sir Rory Walker in June, but the announcement comes after it was reported that he had been forced to be sacked following his outspoken comments.
Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, denied the claims when asked by MPs about the report in July last year.
General Patrick is not alone in warning against allowing the Army to shrink further.
Last week, a former chief of staff of the British Army said Britain risked a repeat of the 1930s unless it invested more in its armed forces.
General Dannatt slammed the shrinking size of the military, which has fallen from 102,000 in 2006 to 74,000 now and remains “rapidly declining.” said.
He drew parallels to the 1930s, when the “pathetic” state of the British military failed to stop Adolf Hitler, and warned of “a grave danger of history repeating itself”.
Mr Shapps insists the army’s size will never fall below 73,000 under a Conservative government.
He told Sky News on Sunday: “We don’t expect the number to go down to 50,000.” Actually, specifically he is 73,000 plus reserves. ”
The British Army’s regular strength remains at just over 75,000, and authorities have introduced measures to increase its strength, such as giving soldiers transferred to parachute regiments a £7,500 Golden Handshake.
The Royal Navy has struggled to recruit compared to other navies, with only 29,000 full-time recruits.
General Patrick’s latest warning comes as a senior NATO official suggested that the West could face an all-out war with Moscow within the next two decades.
Article 5 of the Establishment Treaty operates on the condition that “an attack on one is an attack on all,” meaning that “all other members” of the alliance are protected against attack by external forces. You are required to take whatever action is deemed necessary.
NATO signed a new $1.2 billion contract on Tuesday to produce 220,000 shells for member countries, clearing the way for allies to backfill their arsenals and provide Ukraine with more ammunition.
It is also mobilizing about 90,000 troops for war games aimed at sending a message to Russia not to consider attacking member states, in the largest military exercise since the Cold War.
The exercise, dubbed “Steady Defender,” will run until late May and will involve forces from all 31 NATO member states, as well as Sweden, a candidate for membership.
Admiral Rob Bauer, a member of the Dutch Navy and chairman of NATO’s military committee, said Europe needed to recognize that everyone has a role to play in times of conflict.
He said, “We need to realize that peace is not a given.” That is why we (NATO forces) are preparing for a conflict with Russia.
“But the discussion is much broader. It’s also an industrial base and people need to understand that they play a role too.”
He said large numbers of civilians would need to be mobilized in the event of a global war and governments must ensure their countries were “war ready”.
He added: “Public and private stakeholders need to change their mindset from a time when everything was planable, predictable, controllable and focused on efficiency to a time when anything could happen at any time.” .
“We live in an age where we have to anticipate the unexpected.”
Meanwhile, Sweden, which is preparing to join the NATO alliance later this year after Turkey’s application was accepted on Monday, is also warning its people that full-scale war could soon occur.
Defense Minister Karl Oskar Bolin recently said, “The world faces a security outlook with greater risks than at any time since World War II.”
“Are you an individual?” Have you ever wondered whether you have time to join a self-defense organization? If not, move!
And Norwegian Defense Secretary Eirik Kristoffersen suggested this week that NATO countries have “two, maybe three years” to prepare for an attack by Putin’s forces.
Meanwhile, a secret plan is leaked. Germany has revealed that Putin’s forces are preparing to attack NATO as early as 2025.
According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.