Nuclear weapons = there’s no need to have a so-called top-level fighting force anymore
If the yanks are saying that to us, they’re also saying it to most of the rest of NATO. It’d be interesting to know who the yanks do consider to be a top level fighting force? Other than themselves, obviously.
There is but one top level fighting force and it is US itself. Closest one is China and after that no other country comes any close to these two.
The only top-level fighting forces are probably France and Greece, lol. How can we be so pathetic in the defense of this continent?
30 years of defence cuts will do that, add on the endless penny pinching by HMT looking to cut corners, which then ends up costing more money in procurement bodges (see the Ajax scandal for the latest in a series of such) and the Top Brass never saying “No” and or resigning over ill thought out strategy (aka Treasury inspired cuts).
All told, I am surprised it has held together really.
Send the chavs to war.
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Compared to the US maybe, but I would still expect the British army to kick the ass of most other armies in the world.
Why should the UK aspire or be expected to have an elite military beyond it’s nuclear deterrent and what is required for defense of it’s territories?
I’d argue the UK has never been stronger in terms of it’s abilities to defend itself and never been weaker in terms of it’s ability to intervene against a peer far from home and that is probably a good thing for everyone. That is how it should be. If everyone in Europe did the same the Europe wouldn’t need to go crawling to America every time shit hits the fan.
By US standards the only top rated fighting force in the world is likely the US. We are also bankrupting ourselves by paying more on defense then the next 10 biggest spenders combined.
I think the actual specific points listed in the article were more interesting when related to the state of the British military rather than a quote from an unnamed US general. The job of generals are to constantly say how poor their militaries are, the US spends more than the next top 10 militaries combined and most US generals will probably point to a hundred reasons why we’re falling behind.
Just imagine what the Americans have to say about Canada’s military.
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Just a reminder that the UK and the US are extremely close allies and a US general pointing out flaws in the UK military probably isn’t an insult but a warning to the UK itself. With the war in Ukraine reigniting a focus on defense in Europe hopefully the UK can reinvest in their military and get themselves back in standing.
Let’s be honest here.
Taking the experiences from the Ukrainian conflict, no European country could have sustained the operational tempo that the Russian AND the Ukrainian armies have maintained during a whole year. Not even those with larger economies.
I’ve got no idea how much of this was known those with access to confidential information, but many analysts and pundits have been surprised and even scared how the Russian Army has been able to keep up. And of course, Ukraine defied the wildest expectations. There were well prepared for war, that’s true, but keeping up for a whole year is something else, even with whole Western backing.
UK has still a competent Navy and Air Force and there are some very highly specialized units, but they are not prepared to sustain a long and aggressive conflict. But few armies are.
16 comments
Nuclear weapons = there’s no need to have a so-called top-level fighting force anymore
If the yanks are saying that to us, they’re also saying it to most of the rest of NATO. It’d be interesting to know who the yanks do consider to be a top level fighting force? Other than themselves, obviously.
There is but one top level fighting force and it is US itself. Closest one is China and after that no other country comes any close to these two.
The only top-level fighting forces are probably France and Greece, lol. How can we be so pathetic in the defense of this continent?
30 years of defence cuts will do that, add on the endless penny pinching by HMT looking to cut corners, which then ends up costing more money in procurement bodges (see the Ajax scandal for the latest in a series of such) and the Top Brass never saying “No” and or resigning over ill thought out strategy (aka Treasury inspired cuts).
All told, I am surprised it has held together really.
Send the chavs to war.
[deleted]
Compared to the US maybe, but I would still expect the British army to kick the ass of most other armies in the world.
Why should the UK aspire or be expected to have an elite military beyond it’s nuclear deterrent and what is required for defense of it’s territories?
I’d argue the UK has never been stronger in terms of it’s abilities to defend itself and never been weaker in terms of it’s ability to intervene against a peer far from home and that is probably a good thing for everyone. That is how it should be. If everyone in Europe did the same the Europe wouldn’t need to go crawling to America every time shit hits the fan.
By US standards the only top rated fighting force in the world is likely the US. We are also bankrupting ourselves by paying more on defense then the next 10 biggest spenders combined.
I think the actual specific points listed in the article were more interesting when related to the state of the British military rather than a quote from an unnamed US general. The job of generals are to constantly say how poor their militaries are, the US spends more than the next top 10 militaries combined and most US generals will probably point to a hundred reasons why we’re falling behind.
Just imagine what the Americans have to say about Canada’s military.
[deleted]
Just a reminder that the UK and the US are extremely close allies and a US general pointing out flaws in the UK military probably isn’t an insult but a warning to the UK itself. With the war in Ukraine reigniting a focus on defense in Europe hopefully the UK can reinvest in their military and get themselves back in standing.
Let’s be honest here.
Taking the experiences from the Ukrainian conflict, no European country could have sustained the operational tempo that the Russian AND the Ukrainian armies have maintained during a whole year. Not even those with larger economies.
I’ve got no idea how much of this was known those with access to confidential information, but many analysts and pundits have been surprised and even scared how the Russian Army has been able to keep up. And of course, Ukraine defied the wildest expectations. There were well prepared for war, that’s true, but keeping up for a whole year is something else, even with whole Western backing.
UK has still a competent Navy and Air Force and there are some very highly specialized units, but they are not prepared to sustain a long and aggressive conflict. But few armies are.
We are a naval power, always have been