Army cuts could be scrapped amid looming threat of war with Putin: Ben Wallace ‘is reviewing reduction in troop numbers from 82,000 to 73,000’ as defense budget is set for £5bn increase
- The UK’s Integrated Security Posture Review will be published next week.
British army cuts could be phased out amid the looming threat of a ‘hot’ war with Russia.
Ben Wallace is believed to be reviewing plans to reduce troop numbers from 82,000 to just 73,000, which would be the lowest level since the Napoleonic era.
The defense secretary has been pushing to bolster the military after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forced a reassessment of security risks.
The Integrated Review, due to be published on Monday, is expected to inject another £5bn into the MoD’s budget, although that is around half of what Wallace has been demanding.
The reduction in force has been condemned by Conservative MPs and is now being reconsidered, according to The Times.
Wallace has already warned that the UK faces a confrontation with Russia over the next decade, either “hot” or “cold”. China has also been labeled as a systemic competitor.
It has emerged that the decision to reduce the number of main battle tanks from 227 to 148 is being reconsidered.
Ben Wallace is believed to be reviewing plans to reduce troop numbers from 82,000 to just 73,000, which would be the lowest level since the Napoleonic era.
British troops training with high-tech equipment on Salibury Plain last year
The defense secretary has been pushing to bolster the army after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine (pictured) forced a reassessment of security risks.
Rishi Sunak will present the updated IR on Monday when he visits San Diego for talks with US President Joe Biden and his Australian counterpart on the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal. Defense Ministry sources said the figures circulating about the budget deal and the number of troops were “speculation.”
Yesterday, the junior defense minister took a look at the bitter behind-the-scenes clashes over military funding.
James Heappey told the Commons Defense Committee: ‘There have been some strong exchanges with the Treasury in public.
“And there have been some even stronger exchanges behind closed doors.”
Earlier this week, Wallace said he was “pretty confident” he would receive the investment the armed forces require over the next two years, even though it will be significantly less than the £11bn he had initially sought.
Despite criticism from UK allies about his level of military readiness, Heappey insisted: “I don’t think we’re a second-tier army.”
But he added: “I think the Secretary of State and I have made a virtue over the past three years by being very honest about the consequences of decisions made – perfectly reasonable decisions made – during the Iraq and Afghanistan years to divest from capabilities. that allow you to move large forces quickly.
Mr Heappey also came under pressure from MPs over the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine, with calls to hand over surplus RAF Typhoons to Volodymyr Zelensky, partly to encourage other nations to do the same.
The UK has not ruled out sending Typhoon jets to Kiev as the war with Russia continues, although that was unlikely in the short term given the logistical complexities and the four to six month training period required for Ukraine’s experienced fighter pilots.
Heappey said: “It’s not as binary as ‘definitely not now’ and ‘definitely only in peacetime’.” The Prime Minister has said that he wants us to look at all the options so that that political option remains available to him.
“The Secretary of State has made it very clear that it’s not happening now, it is, but the pilots who are training and the broader work we’re doing to meet the Prime Minister’s request is to give him more policy options where necessary.” . .’
He added that it was “eminently possible” that the UK could supply Typhoons, or provide RAF cover, to pad other nations with more suitable aircraft, such as Soviet-era Migs or Sukhoi jets held by states in Europe. from the East, the Gripen from Sweden or various NATO aircraft. F-16 – for short-term Ukrainians.
Defense Committee Chairman Tobias Ellwood told the minister: “I think the message comes through loud and clear that Putin is the most destabilizing force in Europe right now, we have teams that can help deal with that.”
Calling for quicker action, he said “if we don’t put out this fire in the next few months, we will end up in a stalemate and Putin will then claim victory.”
Rishi Sunak is heading to the US over the weekend for talks with Joe Biden and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
