The head of the British army, Gen. Patrick Sanders, emphasized on Wednesday that U.K. civilians should be prepared to engage in a hypothetical land war, citing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine as evidence that “citizen armies” play a crucial role in conflicts. He expressed concern that the British military’s current size is insufficient to address emerging threats in a changing global landscape.<\/p>\n
“Taking preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing when needed are now not merely desirable but essential,” Sanders warned. “Our friends in eastern and northern Europe, who feel the proximity of the Russian threat more acutely, are already acting prudently, laying the foundations for national mobilization.”<\/p>\n
Presently, the U.K. army comprises approximately 75,000 fully trained professional soldiers, with an additional 60,000 service members in the British navy and air force. Despite the U.K. allocating about 2% of its gross domestic product to military expenditures, Sanders advocated for an increase to 2.5% and argued that the army should expand to a standing force of approximately 120,000 soldiers by 2027, asserting that even this figure may be insufficient.<\/p>\n
Sanders added, “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.”<\/p>\n