British Army no longer seen as top-tier fighting force, senior US general reportedly says
British defense secretary told by US general that UK's war-fighting capability suffered due to decades of cuts, reports Sky News
By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) – The British Army is "no longer regarded" as a leading global fighting force and is "unable to protect the UK and our allies," a US general reportedly said.
Citing defense sources, Sky News reported on Monday that Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was told by the US general that the country's war-fighting capability has been weakened by a decade of cuts and that it needs to be strengthened amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Bottom line ... it's an entire service unable to protect the UK and our allies for a decade," one defense source told Sky News.
The source also said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also risked failing in his role as "wartime prime minister" unless he reverses the situation.
It has been reported that the defense budget should be increased by at least £3 billion ($3.8 billion) a year, as well as canceling a plan to cut the size of the army.
"We have a wartime prime minister and a wartime chancellor," one source said. "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."
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