Shrinking UK army worrying US generals amid Red Sea operations
3 Min Read
Recent analysis indicates that the British army's numbers will fall below 70,000 soldiers within the next two years.
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British soldiers march in a procession after the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
A former senior US general expressed concern over the diminishing number of troops in the British army, pointing out that it is no longer as formidable as it once was, amid calls for secretaries to address the military recruitment crisis facing the country.
Recent analysis indicates that the British army's numbers will fall below 70,000 soldiers within the next two years, prompting both US and European generals to question whether the UK remains a top-tier fighting force, as reported by The Daily Mail.
According to The Times newspaper, if the current rate of troop decline persists, the regular soldier count is projected to reach 67,741 by 2026, a figure smaller than the personnel in the United States special operations forces alone.
The former US general acknowledged the UK's status as the US' closest ally but observed diminished military capabilities over the past few decades, stating, "Hence, while being the most important ally across the board, it is decidedly not what it used to be, regrettably."
With the existing trends, the British army is expected to have only 52,000 troops in a decade. In the year leading up to September 2023, the army's troops count declined from 79,139 to 75,983, with more soldiers leaving than joining.
The Royal Navy is also grappling with a significant drop in enlistment, causing concerns among senior commanders about its future capabilities.
UK ministers have agreed to reduce the number of army troops to 72,500 by next year, a decision that has raised anxieties among senior US generals, considering the figure may fall even lower.
Despite the army failing to meet recruitment targets for the past decade, the recruitment overseer, Capita, has been awarded contracts exceeding £1.1 billion.
"On current trends, our army is set for further decline if ministers do not get to grips with their recruitment and retention crisis," Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey warned.
This comes as the British military is taking part in the US-led strikes against Yemen in the Red Sea region. A spokesperson for the MoD claimed the Royal Navy had destroyed drones in the Red Sea and added that the Royal Air Force had "weakened" the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement's capabilities in the latest aggressions.
But MailOnline reported that the Royal Navy is becoming a "refer-a-friend" scheme to attract new sailors, offering rewards to current personnel.
Read more: US, UK attacks on Ansar Allah were expected to have minimal impact
