The UK Army is “effectively incapable” of matching Russia’s military might in case of a war, the force’s own think tank has warned.
The Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) warned in a paper that years of spending cuts has weakened the British Army so much that its only remaining fighting unit could be wiped out “in an afternoon” in case of a confrontation with countries like Russia.
“This raises an important question: is the British Army ready for such a possibility?” the report asked, according to The Sunday Times.
“If one merely sees preparedness through net manpower and kinetic force capacity, the answer might be a simple ‘no’: the British Army is at its smallest and has faced years of budget cuts,” added the report, which was compiled after a two-day seminar attended by serving and retired army officers.
“The prospect of ‘losing the division in an afternoon’ will weigh heavily on the chain of…