The House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee recently published a report which criticizes the UK’s preparedness for modern warfare, particularly in the context of a potential conflict with Russia. The British Army currently has 72,500 active-duty personnel, down from more than 163,000 during its peak in the early 1980s. This reduction was based on the belief that advanced technology would compensate for fewer personnel; however, the House of Lords report states that in a conflict between two technologically capable states, technology alone cannot end wars swiftly.
The committee acknowledged that the UK has a well-trained and well-equipped force, but emphasized that it is too small and not adequately prepared for large, prolonged conflicts like the one currently happening in Ukraine. Despite the conflict in Ukraine, no British government has announced plans to reverse the downsizing of the army. Former Chief of the General Staff Patrick Sanders and former Defense Minister Grant Shapps have both issued increasingly grandiose demands of the UK’s armed forces, with little acknowledgment of the current manpower deficiency.
Aside from its manpower deficiency, the British Army currently has a fifth as many main battle tanks as it did in the early 1980s, and less than a day’s worth of artillery shells in stock. In June, a report by the House of Commons Defence Committee found that Britain’s armed forces have been “consistently overstretched” and are not prepared to fight a high-intensity war. The UK currently spends around 2.3% of its GDP on defense, which is above NATO’s mandated 2% but below the target of 2.5% set by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year. However, even if this target is met, Thursday’s report warned that it might not be a “suitable increase in defense spending,” and could be canceled out by inflation.