A speech by the British Chief of Staff, General Patrick Sanders, in which he called for the preparation of civilians for military duties, prompted the British Prime Minister’s spokesman to confirm that the government has no intention of reinstating compulsory conscription.
In a speech on Wednesday, General Sanders stressed that the size of the British army would clearly be insufficient in the event of a conflict with Russia, The Telegraph reports.
The size of the British Army is expected to fall to 72,500 soldiers as early as 2025. According to Sanders, a realistic goal would be to try to increase the number of active duty troops to 120,000 people in three years. At the same time, the British Chief of Staff emphasized that even an army of this size would not be enough if the United Kingdom was forced to go to war with Russia.
“Our friends in Eastern and Northern Europe, who sense the proximity of the Russian threat most clearly, are already creating the basis for national mobilization. Preparing our society for war, when it becomes necessary, is not only recommended, but also a priorities,” Sanders said.
The general also stressed that British men and women must be able to think like soldiers and be prepared for a possible war with Russia.
“We are not immune. And as a pre-war generation, we just need to prepare, and this is a joint effort of the whole society. Ukraine brutally reminds us that professional armies start wars, but citizen armies end and win them,” he the general underlined.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Wednesday evening that the government did not agree with the chief of staff’s statements and that there were no plans to reinstate military service.
“The British Army is proud to be an all-volunteer force. As I said, there are no plans to reintroduce compulsory conscription,” the spokesperson said.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson also said that war with Russia is a hypothetical scenario that is not right to talk about. He added that the government has already invested heavily in the British army.
At the same time, a senior British official told The Telegraph that there should be a wider discussion within government about how the UK operates in a more dangerous world than before.
According to the Telegraph, the British government did not want Sanders’ speech covered.
Reaction to the chief of staff’s speech was much more positive among defense experts. For example, former Chief of Staff Richard Dannatt said that the entire society must be ready to participate in defense efforts.
“If the international situation worsened to the point where the country was in a state of war, then fighting with 75,000 troops would not be sustainable,” he said, referring to the current makeup of the British army.
“It’s a reality and it’s realistic to have these discussions. I certainly don’t criticize the Chief of Staff for doing so,” Dannatt added.
Another senior British official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Times on Wednesday evening that the preparation of Ukrainian conscript units in the UK could become a “dress rehearsal” for British training.
2024-01-25 04:55:00
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