London: In a sobering acknowledgment, a top UK defense official has conceded that if a conflict were to erupt with Russia, the nation would rapidly deplete its ammunition and equipment within a mere two months.
Lieutenant General Sir Rob Macgowan, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, affirmed the concerns raised by Tory defence committee member Mark Francois, who bluntly stated that the UK lacks the necessary resources to sustain a prolonged military engagement with Russia. Francois remarked, “We couldn’t fight (Vladimir) Putin for more than a couple of months in a full-on shooting war because we don’t have the ammunition and the reserves of equipment to do it, that’s true isn’t it?”
Echoing these sentiments, Lieutenant General Sir Rob Macgowan emphasized the inadequacy of current munitions spending to effectively address the multifaceted threats facing the nation. He stressed the urgent need for increased investment, particularly in integrated air missile defense systems.
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However, despite acknowledging these deficiencies, Lt Gen Sir Rob Macgowan maintained that the UK remains “ready for war,” albeit not for a protracted conflict with Russia.
Addressing concerns about UK’s readiness, Defense Minister Grant Shapps reassured the public that any potential conflict would see the UK standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its NATO allies, collectively presenting a formidable force against Russian aggression. Shapps emphasized the importance of NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense agreement in ensuring collective security.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak underscored the imperative for bolstering defense production capabilities. He acknowledged that recent events have underscored the need for improvements in defense industrial production, a concern shared by UK’s European and NATO allies.
Sunak revealed that defense spending is projected to increase to 2.3% of GDP next year, with a commitment to reaching 2.5% when feasible. However, despite lobbying efforts by Shapps, no additional funding was secured in the recent budget.
