Former Commander: UK Army Lacks Funds for Modern Warfare

The British armed forces cannot fully prepare for a possible conflict because the country lacks the funding needed for modern weapons systems, The Times reported, citing a former military commander.

General Richard Barrons, who took part in the Strategic Defence Review, said the Ministry of Defence had failed to keep pace with investment needs over the past year.

Barrons said the army had limited resources for traditional equipment such as tanks, helicopters and artillery, while also being unable to afford modern technology, including drones, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.

He said the British army could not fund most of the future combat capabilities expected to rely on cheaper systems that can be deployed quickly. He also criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government for failing to produce a defense investment plan.

Barrons said technology firms were seeking contracts in Germany, Poland and the United States instead. That, he said, was weakening the British defense industry and reducing the country’s ability to modernize its military.

The Ministry of Defence denied that modernization had stalled and said the government was preparing the biggest increase in defense spending since the Cold War.

(times, bak)