A top-ranking US military official has reportedly told UK defense secretary Ben Wallace in private that the British Army is no longer considered a “top-level fighting force.”
The supposedly classified information was reported by British news organization Sky News, citing several defense sources.
According to the report, one of the sources claimed that the British Army will be unable to fully protect its country and allies “for a decade.”
British leader Rishi Sunak also reportedly risked failing in his role as a “wartime prime minister” amid increasing security threats posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The sources suggest that the UK government must take urgent action and invest in more weapons and military equipment to address the decline in its warfighting capability.
Scale of the Problem
Citing the same defense sources, Sky News outlined the scale of the problem being faced by the UK armed forces.
It said that the military would run out of ammunition just after a few days in case of an armed conflict.
The country also reportedly lacks the ability to defend its airspace given the increasing power and capabilities of today’s missiles and drones.
Additionally, full replacements for aging British tanks and armored vehicles are not due for years, thereby affecting its modernization drive.
Sources claim it would take five to ten years for the British Army to be able to field a warfighting division with more than 30,000 troops and backed by high-powered tanks, artillery systems, and helicopters.