NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine has uncovered fragility and cracks within the British defence establishment, such as insufficient supplies of crucial ammunition, obsolete military equipment, and a shrunken ground force at lows not seen since the 1800s. MPs put these issues into the spotlight in a report, expressing alarm that the UK might not be able to fulfil its NATO commitments in fielding an armoured fighting division.
On Tuesday, the UK's defence ministry will roll out its plans to respond to external threats and will prioritize integrating cutting-edge technologies, like drones and artificial intelligence, to augment its defensive capabilities.
The British parliamentary defence committee's report, spanning 60 pages, emphasizes the need for the defence policymakers to improve the ministry's internal functioning before soliciting further financial support from the treasury to enhance the UK's military capabilities. The committee stressed that these improvements are necessary.
“For the first time since the end of the cold war, we have to face the prospect that we could become involved in a peer conflict with Russia.....In this new, more challenging environment, we need a defence procurement system which can . . . equip our armed forces to fight and to win," the committee said.