UK Military ‘Too small’ for war, may call up public to fight - Army Chief

The UK military is “too small” to survive a war if the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates to NATO, the British Army’s highest-ranking official has said, adding that the public may be called up to fight.

The statement comes amid concerns that Moscow might soon defeat Ukraine amid dwindling Western supplies and wage another armed conflict with a NATO member state. According to General Patrick Sanders, it is essential to take preparatory steps to place the UK on a war footing.

Although he does not support conscription, he said there should be a shift in the mindset of regular British people to be mentally prepared for the possibility of a war with Russia. “Our friends in eastern and northern Europe, who feel the proximity of the Russian threat more acutely, are already acting prudently, laying the foundations for national mobilization,” he said. “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.”

Winning wars on land

Speaking at an armored vehicles conference in London, Sanders said the UK should not rely solely on its naval and aerial power in a war. He argued that the country must be able to credibly fight and win wars on land, as its allies are preparing for.

He added that the army must have a strength of 120,000 troops within three years, including regular soldiers, reserves, and a strategic reserve group or retired troops who have been recalled. The current strength of the British Army stands at 75,983. “We need an army designed to expand rapidly to enable the first echelon, resource the second echelon, and train and equip the citizen army that must follow,” Sanders said.

NATO warning

Sanders’ remarks come days after NATO military commander Admiral Rob Bauer said the alliance needs to prepare for conflict with Russia in the next 20 years. He said many civilians would have to be mobilized if conflict escalated in Europe.

“The discussion is much wider… People have to understand they play a role… The realization [is] that not everything is plannable and not everything is going to be hunky dory in the next 20 years,” Bauer explained, as quoted by The Independent.

Troop cuts

Sander’s statement about needing to mobilize the public comes amid London’s decision to reduce the number of its military personnel and focus on modernization. By 2025, the country expects an army strength of just 73,000 troops.

The combined number of regular troops and volunteer reserves in all services also fell to 184,865 — 7,440 lower than last year. The figures reflect that the UK military is experiencing its lowest number of active-duty personnel since the Napoleonic wars in 1815.

(Satire) British Army - If they went to war right now

Despite salary hike, many soldiers leave British military

The UK is experiencing an alarmingly high attrition rate in its armed forces, with many soldiers continuing to leave the service despite a salary increase approved by the government last summer. Attrition in the military refers to the gradual loss of personnel due to factors such as retirement and resignation, which negatively impact operational readiness and force strength.

Around 15,000 British troops left the military in the year to October 2024, with more than half of these departures categorized as “voluntary attrition,” according to a report by The Telegraph. Notably, the UK armed forces only enlisted over 12,000 personnel in the same period, resulting in a net decrease in military strength.

As of October, there are reportedly just two servicemen and women for every 1,000 people in Britain — the first time this has happened.

Earlier this year, data from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed that more people quit the military than joined in 2023, with factors such as poor living conditions and declining troop morale cited as the main causes.

‘6% Pay rise’

In July, the British government announced a 6-percent salary increase for military personnel — the largest in over two decades. The raise aims to address recruitment and retention challenges, which have reportedly affected the military’s operational readiness. “Our new government’s first duty is keeping the British people safe. And the strength of our defense lies in the serving men and women of our forces,” Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

“This pay award will benefit every member of the Armed Forces. It is an important step towards turning around the declining morale and recruitment crisis we have faced in recent years.” Despite the increase, the military remains one of the lowest-paid sectors among civil servants in the UK, according to reports.

‘Too small to survive war’

As of January, the force’s strength stood at 75,983, and it is expected to drop to 73,000 by 2025, as the government has opted to reduce personnel and focus on modernization. Due to the decline, then-Chief of the General Staff Patrick Sanders warned that the British Armed Forces is “too small to survive a war” and may need to call on the public to fight.

Several lawmakers have also argued that the military is “unfit for an all-out conflict” similar to that in Ukraine due to recruitment challenges and stockpile shortages.