Former director of one of the UK Ministry of Defence departments, Rob Johnson, announced today that the British armed forces will not be able to protect all areas of the country. Johnson stated during an interview with the Financial Times that "in any large-scale operation, our ammunition will run out quickly, our defenses are extremely weak, and we are not prepared to fight and win in any armed conflict, regardless of its scale."
He added that "the British armed forces operate on the basis of the absolute minimum, which allows them to conduct peacekeeping and humanitarian operations only, as well as evacuate civilians from combat zones and perform some anti-subversion measures," indicating that "the UK has reached a situation where it cannot adequately defend its homeland."
Johnson explained that "British air defenses are insufficient to stop long-range missiles, the Royal Navy lacks ships to patrol the North Atlantic to track and deter Russian submarine activity, and the Royal Air Force needs almost double the number of current fighter jets." He pointed out that "if a deployment force were to be created similar to those deployed in the Falkland Islands or conflicts in Iraq, British forces would be ill-equipped with adequate equipment, putting the army at risk."
Johnson clarified that "the next government in the country should aim to increase defense spending to at least 3% of GDP, approximately £80 billion (over $100 billion) annually," emphasizing that "this step would allow Britain to modernize its nuclear deterrent capabilities and have a well-armed and equipped army for 21st-century conflicts."
