Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian media: Israeli occupation forces storm the Old City in the center of Nablus, occupied West Bank
Local sources to Al Mayadeen: Sudanese army forces drones strike town of Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
Syrian Observatory: The plane is loaded with air defense systems and heavy weapons as part of US troop reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria
Syrian Observatory: US cargo plane lands with two military helicopters at Kharab al-Jir base in the countryside of Rmeilan, north of Hasakah
Miguel Díaz-Canel to Gustavo Petro: US seeks to reimpose the Monroe Doctrine in its relations with sovereign states in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, says they handed over the body of an Israeli captive to the Israeli occupation forces in implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli drones are flying over the presidential palace in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, and over the skies of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes launch a series of raids on the al-Mahmoudiya and Jarmaq areas
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia

US general warns UK army 'no longer regarded' as top-level force

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 30 Jan 2023 15:40
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

US general warns Rishi Sunak may fail in his job as "wartime Prime Minister."

  • x
  • The British Army is 'too small' as per US general. (Getty Images)
    The British Army is 'too small' as per a US source. (Getty Images)

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has reportedly been told by a senior US general that the British army is not a top-level fighting force.

In light of the war in Ukraine, decades of downsizing are reported to have resulted in a decrease in warfighting capabilities, which must be restored as soon as possible. 

Defense sources were quoted on Sky News as saying, "bottom line... it's an entire service unable to protect the UK and our allies for a decade." The sources added the that UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak risks failing in his job as "wartime Prime Minister" unless the situation is drastically altered.

They advised increasing the defense budget by at least £3 billion per year, with no future reductions in the size of the army, and that peacetime procurement standards be waived to buy weapons swiftly.

One source stated: 'We have a wartime prime minister and a wartime chancellor."

'History will look back at the choices they make in the coming weeks as fundamental to whether this government genuinely believes that its primary duty is the defense of the realm or whether that is just a slogan to be given lip service,' the same source added as quoted by Sky News.

Challenges faced by the UK army

Sky News argued that the armed forces would run out of ammunition "in a matter of days" if called upon to combat. It's a crying shame that the United Kingdom cannot protect its skies against the level of missile and drone attacks that Ukraine is subjected to.

It would take the army five to ten years to produce a war-fighting division of 25,000 to 30,000 troops supported by tanks, artillery, in addition to helicopters.

Related News

Trump's rare earth push ignites global investor frenzy: FT

India denies Trump’s claim that Modi agreed to halt Russian oil buys

Approximately 30% of UK personnel on high readiness are reservists who are unable to mobilize within NATO timeframes - "so we'd show up under strength."

The majority of the army's armored vehicles, including tanks, were manufactured between 30 and 60 years ago, and comprehensive replacements are not expected for several years.

"Go away" war !!

While the chair of the NATO Military Committee Rob Bauer has lately said, during an interview for Portugal’s RTP TV channel, that the US-led bloc is ready for "a direct confrontation with Russia." Meanwhile, the UK's chancellor-turned-prime minister just wants the problem "to go away", a second source satir-ly said.

Sunak has yet to make a meaningful vow to grow his defense coffers, instead opting for a "refresh" of a review of defense strategy, which is set to be released on March 7 ahead of a spring budget and will indicate whether new money for the military is available.

UK gifting arms to Ukraine while the army is in bad shape

While the image is grim across the military, the army is in a bad state.

Satirically, the UK is playing a critical role in providing Kiev with lethal weapons, with the Prime Minister becoming the first leader to vow to send Western tanks - a leadership role he seemed eager to emphasize when he turned to social media after Germany and the US followed suit.

"Really pleased they've joined the UK in sending main battle tanks to Ukraine," Sunak said in a tweet last Wednesday.

"We have a window to accelerate efforts to secure lasting peace for Ukrainians. Let's keep it up," he added.

Despite this aggressive tone, Sunak omitted to include closing capability gaps in his military forces as one of his top five goals in his maiden policy speech as prime minister in early January amid war in Ukraine.

"The PM's wartime approach is currently to cut the army, hollow it out further by gifting [equipment to Ukraine] and with no plans to replace [the weapons] for five to seven years," the first defense source said.

Read next: Sending weapons to Ukraine would weaken British Army: Chief

  • US
  • Rishi Sunak
  • British Army
  • UK
  • Ukraine

Most Read

Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, killing seven Palestinians.

Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, kills seven Palestinians

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025
How an Israeli-backed firm spied on US churches to push propaganda

How an Israeli-backed firm spied on US churches to push propaganda

  • Politics
  • 15 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Inside Trump’s secret campaign to dismantle the ‘Deep State’: Reuters
Politics

Inside Trump’s secret campaign to dismantle the ‘Deep State’: Reuters

ap
Politics

Cuba's president denounces renewed US meddling in region, backs Petro

Bob Vylan: 'Who cares about the chant when Palestinians are killed?'
Arts and Culture

Bob Vylan: 'Who cares about the chant when Palestinians are killed?'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks before a lunch with President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Politics

Rubio leading US campaign to oust Maduro through force, sanctions: WSJ

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS