Britain’s new chief of staff of the armed forces apparently fears an escalation of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. In a circular he therefore calls for the army to be strengthened and to prepare for a possible combat mission in Europe.
According to media reports, the new chief of staff of the British armed forces has sent a circular to all soldiers, calling for them to prepare for a war effort in Europe. In view of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Britain must also prepare for further Russian aggression in mainland Europe, argued General Patrick Sanders, according to the British news agency PA.
“There is now an urgent need to build an army capable of defeating Russia on the battlefield alongside our allies,” the PA quoted the letter from the 56-year-old chief of staff, who took up the post last Monday . The Chief of Staff is the senior soldier in the British Army.
Sanders wants to strengthen NATO and stand up to Russia
According to the , which received the circular, Sanders wrote: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores our core purpose – to protect the UK and stand ready to fight and win wars on land – and reaffirms the need to counteract Russian aggression to ward off the threat of violence.”
The world has changed as of February 24 and there is now “an urgent imperative to forge an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle,” the BBC continued.
The goal is to speed up the mobilization and modernization of the army “to strengthen NATO and deny Russia the chance to occupy more of Europe. (…) We are the generation that has to prepare the army to fight again in Europe “.
Troops are reduced in Britain
Sanders faces the problem of a shrinking squad. As the newspaper and broadcaster reported, the size of the British army is to be reduced to around 73,000 soldiers by 2025 – the smallest force since the 18th century. There should also be cuts in the Air Force. According to plans by the Ministry of Defense, however, the army is to be reorganized and modernized. According to Sky News, a total of 23 billion pounds will be invested in this.
General Sir Patrick Sanders has been with the since 1986 and has commanded operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, among others. He was promoted to General in May 2019 and commanded UK Strategic Command until May 2022. In June 2022 he became chief of staff.
Source: Stern
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