Kathrine Frich
Europe is rethinking its military strength as war in Ukraine exposes the realities of modern conflict.
Armed forces across the continent are under pressure to prove they can respond to large-scale threats.
In the UK, a new assessment has raised serious doubts about current capabilities.
Stark warning
A senior British general has issued a blunt warning about the state of the UK’s armed forces, according to The Times cited by Digi24.
General Sir Richard Barrons said the military is now too small to carry out major operations.
“Today’s military could, frankly, do only one very small thing; essentially, it could conquer a small market on a good day,” he said.
Limited capability
Barrons said Britain’s forces can only make a minor contribution to operations led by NATO or the United States.
“What they cannot do is something substantial,” he added.
He also warned the military lacks the equipment, training and support needed to meet its commitments to the alliance.
The British Army currently has around 70,000 soldiers.
Barrons said this would allow the UK to deploy only a brigade-sized force of about 5,000 troops.
Such a force would typically be enough to capture a small town, not sustain a larger campaign.
Equipment concerns
Experts also highlighted a shortage of artillery after significant donations to Ukraine.
Researcher Jack Watling said the army now has just 14 modern howitzers, far below the number required for a full division.
“We have 14. And more importantly, we haven’t invested in the production capacity to supply the ammunition they need,” he said.
Watling pointed to the battle for Bakhmut as an example of the scale of modern warfare.
“The Ukrainians who tried to defend Bakhmut lost 10,000 men, killed and wounded… and that number would represent almost the entire infantry force of the British Army,” he said.
Sources: The Times, BBC, Digi24.
