Britain should train a “national army” capable of fighting future wars on land, the army chief has said.
But General Patrick Sanders warned that even adding more reserves would “not be enough.”
He highlighted the threat from Russia and pointed to steps other European countries are taking to put their populations on a “war posture.”
Following his comments, Downing Street ruled out any move towards a conscription model.
This isn’t General Patrick’s first time. warned of a growing threat of war He expressed concern about Britain’s lack of preparedness.
The outgoing Chief of the General Staff (CGS), in his speech at the Armored Vehicles Conference, said that Russia’s war in Ukraine is much more than the seizure of territory, and is aimed at defeating our system and way of life. Ta.
He has already advocated reversing recent cuts to the size of the Army. In 2010, there were about 100,000 people, but now it is a specialized force of about 73,000 people.
He said on Wednesday that Britain needed an army designed to expand rapidly.
“Within the next three years, we should be able to speak with confidence of a British Army of 120,000 people in the Reserves and Strategic Reserve. But this is not enough,” he said, adding that modern He called for further expansion of the military and strategic reserve forces. equip the army.
“Ukraine brutally shows that regular forces start wars and militias win them,” he said. “But we’ve been here before: labor alone cannot create capacity.”
In his speech, General Patrick is not advocating for conscription (men of fighting age are required to join the army), but rather to lay the groundwork for being called up in the event of war. It is said that
He highlighted steps being taken in countries such as Sweden and Finland to make their countries more combat-ready, where the Russian threat looms.
Other NATO military leaders have also recently called on the alliance to prepare for potential conflict.
Such warnings make politicians nervous.
In response to General Patrick’s speech, a spokesperson for the British Prime Minister said that hypothetical scenarios about potential future conflicts were unhelpful, adding that military service would remain voluntary.
A senior Tory MP told the BBC that Rishi Sunak did not fully appreciate the threat from Russia.
The lawmaker said this may be because the prime minister did not experience the existential threat posed by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War during his childhood.
General Patrick said the nation cannot afford to make the same mistake as in 1914 when it failed to recognize the escalation that led to World War I.
He said the size of the Army has halved over the past 30 years and declined by 28% in the past 12 years, but despite challenges in recruitment, applications to join the Army are at the highest level in the past six years. added.
General Patrick has been a vocal critic of cuts in troop numbers and military spending, and General Rory Walker is scheduled to replace CGS in June.
He is not alone in criticizing the cuts, with former CGS general Lord Dannatt saying last week that Britain risks a repeat of the 1930s unless it invests more in its military.
