The British Armed Forces could fight tonight if Russia invaded Eastern Europe, said one of the main British commanders, General Rob Magowan, assuring the army's readiness during a committee meeting in the House of Commons.
During a meeting of the House of Commons defense committee, British deputy chief of staff Gen. Rob Magowan said that “if the British army were asked to fight tonight, they would fight tonight.” “I don't think anyone in this room has any doubt that if the Russians invade Eastern Europe tonight, we won't meet them in that fight,” he added.
These words were uttered after parliamentarians asked one of the main British commanders what forces could be directed to NATO's eastern flank in the event of a serious escalation from Russia.
Problems of the British army
As noted by Politico, despite General Magowan's words, there are some concerns about the military potential of Great Britain in the event of an escalation of the conflict in Europe. The portal emphasized that in terms of numbers, the British land army is the smallest since 1700.
British Defense Secretary John Healey admitted in October in an interview with Politico that the state of the Armed Forces is “much worse than we thought.”
On Wednesday, Healey announced that Great Britain will scrap five warships, 12 military helicopters and drones as part of cost-cutting measures. Thanks to these measures, it will be possible to save up to half a billion pounds over the next five years. The country is currently conducting a review of its strategic defense capabilities. The Defense Secretary noted that the UK is still committed to meeting its target of allocating 2.5%. GDP for defense.
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