UK not ready to fight all-out war unless the government addresses 'overstretched' army, MPs warn

Britain will not be ready to fight an all-out war unless the government addresses the lack of training and recruitment crisis faced by the army, MPs have warned,

The military is “consistently overstretched”, with the demands of operations personnel leaving little time for training in warfighting, the Commons Defence Committee said.

MP's warning comes as the Defence committee report is due to be published.

“The government risks being unable to build true warfighting and strategic readiness because of the sheer pace of operations, which could threaten the security of the UK,” the report said.

The panel suggested the “unrelenting pressure” on personnel has worsened the army recruitment crisis and retention of both regulars and reservists, with more people leaving the Armed Forces than joining.

Just weeks ago, the head of the Army has said Britain should “train and equip” a “citizen army” to ready the country for a potential land war.

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It led to Armed Forces Minister James Heappey having to squash conscription rumours.

Sir Jeremy Quin, who recently took over as Defence Committee chairman, said: “The military is unable to devote sufficient training and resources to high-intensity warfighting.

“Our inquiry found that readiness for all-out, prolonged war has received insufficient attention and needs intense ongoing focus.

“On top of this, the high tempo of operations and unrelenting pressure on our services has led to a drop in retention, compounded by a period of low recruitment and difficulties introducing and maintaining capabilities, thereby creating a vicious cycle.”

He said the government must fully invest in the military.

Efforts by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to tackle the problem are not “being carried out at the required pace”, the report said.

The committee’s inquiry heard the reduction in size of the Armed Forces since 2010 means they would exhaust their capabilities “after the first couple of months of” a peer-on-peer war.

It comes after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps last month said the world is “moving from a post-war to pre-war world” and the UK must ensure its “entire defence ecosystem is ready” to defend its homeland.

He insisted the size of the Army will not dip below 73,000 under the Conservatives, amid growing concerns about further cuts to troop numbers.

The committee also complained that its inquiry was “hampered” by a “lack of government transparency” and the “unacceptably slow” response to its requests for information.

The MoD has been contacted for comment.

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