Official says British Army could endure ‘six months’ in war
According to personnel chief Alistair Carns, the UK would deplete its soldier count in under a year if it experienced casualty rates comparable to those in Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The UK is currently ill-equipped to handle casualty rates similar to those seen in Ukraine, according to Alistair Carns.
In the event of a significant conflict, the UK could deplete its soldier pool within six months to a year, as indicated by Carns, the British Ministry of Defence official overseeing personnel.
Serving as the under-secretary of State for veterans within the defense ministry, Carns expressed his worries about the British Army's capacity during a recent event hosted by the Royal United Services Institute think tank on Wednesday.
“In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine — our army, for example, on the current casualty rates would be expended — as part of a broader multinational coalition — in six months to a year,” Carns stated.
His assessment drew on controversial Ukraine assertions claiming that Russia incurs 1,500 casualties daily, a claim that Moscow suggests aligns more accurately with Ukraine's actual losses.
Carns argued that while this situation may not necessitate a larger army, it underscores the importance of rapidly increasing the depth and mass of forces during a crisis. He added, “The reserves are critical, absolutely central, to that process.”
As of October 1, publicly available figures indicate the British Army comprises 109,245 personnel, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Carns emphasized that the UK has significant ground to cover compared to other NATO allies regarding reserve forces.
His remarks followed those of Britain’s Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Rob Magowan, who maintained that the army would be ready to “fight tonight” if called upon.
However, British Secretary of Defense John Healey noted in late October that the army, navy, and air force had been “hollowed out” and “underfunded” during 14 years of Conservative governance. Healey remarked that while Labour anticipated challenges, the condition of the finances and military forces was “far worse than we thought.”
“The UK, in keeping with many other nations, has essentially become very skilled and ready to conduct military operations. What we have not been ready to do is to fight,” Healey commented previously.
Recently, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, backed by the US government, reported, citing anonymous sources, that the UK and France were in discussions about deploying troops to Ukraine.
As of July, the British Army had slightly more than 73,000 active-duty soldiers, the lowest figure since 1823. The UK’s overall population at that time was around 20 million, which has since increased to 67 million.
Established in 1707, the British Army is a key component of the UK’s armed forces, alongside the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The army is not designated as “royal” due to its origins in parliamentary forces that opposed the crown during the civil war in the 1600s.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
In the event of a significant conflict, the UK could deplete its soldier pool within six months to a year, as indicated by Carns, the British Ministry of Defence official overseeing personnel.
Serving as the under-secretary of State for veterans within the defense ministry, Carns expressed his worries about the British Army's capacity during a recent event hosted by the Royal United Services Institute think tank on Wednesday.
“In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine — our army, for example, on the current casualty rates would be expended — as part of a broader multinational coalition — in six months to a year,” Carns stated.
His assessment drew on controversial Ukraine assertions claiming that Russia incurs 1,500 casualties daily, a claim that Moscow suggests aligns more accurately with Ukraine's actual losses.
Carns argued that while this situation may not necessitate a larger army, it underscores the importance of rapidly increasing the depth and mass of forces during a crisis. He added, “The reserves are critical, absolutely central, to that process.”
As of October 1, publicly available figures indicate the British Army comprises 109,245 personnel, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Carns emphasized that the UK has significant ground to cover compared to other NATO allies regarding reserve forces.
His remarks followed those of Britain’s Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Rob Magowan, who maintained that the army would be ready to “fight tonight” if called upon.
However, British Secretary of Defense John Healey noted in late October that the army, navy, and air force had been “hollowed out” and “underfunded” during 14 years of Conservative governance. Healey remarked that while Labour anticipated challenges, the condition of the finances and military forces was “far worse than we thought.”
“The UK, in keeping with many other nations, has essentially become very skilled and ready to conduct military operations. What we have not been ready to do is to fight,” Healey commented previously.
Recently, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, backed by the US government, reported, citing anonymous sources, that the UK and France were in discussions about deploying troops to Ukraine.
As of July, the British Army had slightly more than 73,000 active-duty soldiers, the lowest figure since 1823. The UK’s overall population at that time was around 20 million, which has since increased to 67 million.
Established in 1707, the British Army is a key component of the UK’s armed forces, alongside the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The army is not designated as “royal” due to its origins in parliamentary forces that opposed the crown during the civil war in the 1600s.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
