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UK defence chief breaks silence on WW3 conscription – 'we need to step up'
With tensions continuing to rise between Russia and the West, one top defence chief has spoken out on Britain's readiness for war, and admitted the army needs to heed the call
With tensions continuing to rise between Russia and the West, one top defence chief has spoken out on Britain's readiness for war, and admitted the army needs to heed the call
One of Britain's top defence chiefs has spoken out on the state of the army ahead of a potential war with Russia. He revealed that the UK army "needs to step up" its strength and broke his silence on whether conscription will be introduced.
Tensions are continuing to rise between Russia and the West amid Mad Vlad Putin's brutal war in Ukraine, as European leaders agree to extend its financial support from Kyiv. Putin revealed on Friday (December 19) that Moscow was willing to end the war, but only on his terms.
He also blasted the West for provoking a potential Third World War with Russia and NATO. Now, Sir Richard Knighton has said that Britain needs to be prepared for a potential outbreak of conflict that could see troops on the ground.
Sir Richard, who acts as the Chief of Defence Staff for the government, said that the army needs to be strengthened in its size and power. However, according to the UK Defence Journal, he revealed that conscription is unlikely to make a return in the short term as numbers are just about right.
Speaking to veteran broadcaster Andrew Marr on LBC, Sir Richard confirmed there would be no immediate plans to reintroduce conscription. However, he could not confirm nor deny the policy position as a long-term strategy.
"I cannot see conscription returning in the short term, but the situation in the world may deteriorate very significantly," the chief said. "I wouldn’t want to predict out beyond the next 10 years; right now, there are no plans to bring in conscription."
Instead, he explained that the government's plan to expand manpower would be to encourage voluntary participation, helping many join the army reserves. While he said that the regular force numbers are sitting pretty, it is worth growing the size of the reserves in case a war breaks out.
Conscription — where civilians are essentially forced to undergo military training — was brought to an end in the UK in 1960, whilst in many European countries, this lasted until the 1990s. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several nations — including the Baltic states — have reintroduced conscription as they could be likely targets for an aggressive Kremlin.
Sir Richard also said that many within the public would hear the call to join the army and serve happily if the UK was threatened. He explained: "I have every confidence in the fighting spirit of the nation.
"Whenever this nation has been asked, it stood up. What I was asking last night was for the nation to step up in the face of that threat."
However, recent surveys have shown a steep decline in serving in the army, with around 40% of Brits saying they would not take up arms to defend the nation. As well as this, conscription laws of the 20th century only mandated men to be drafted, with women being forced to stay behind.
But now, with women squarely within the army forces, it is unclear whether women would be exempted from the draft if one is issued. However, Britain's army remains strong as it continues to work with its NATO partners to scare off Russian threats.
Daily Star Sunday
With tensions continuing to rise between Russia and the West, one top defence chief has spoken out on Britain's readiness for war, and admitted the army needs to heed the call
With tensions continuing to rise between Russia and the West, one top defence chief has spoken out on Britain's readiness for war, and admitted the army needs to heed the call
One of Britain's top defence chiefs has spoken out on the state of the army ahead of a potential war with Russia. He revealed that the UK army "needs to step up" its strength and broke his silence on whether conscription will be introduced.
Tensions are continuing to rise between Russia and the West amid Mad Vlad Putin's brutal war in Ukraine, as European leaders agree to extend its financial support from Kyiv. Putin revealed on Friday (December 19) that Moscow was willing to end the war, but only on his terms.
He also blasted the West for provoking a potential Third World War with Russia and NATO. Now, Sir Richard Knighton has said that Britain needs to be prepared for a potential outbreak of conflict that could see troops on the ground.
Sir Richard, who acts as the Chief of Defence Staff for the government, said that the army needs to be strengthened in its size and power. However, according to the UK Defence Journal, he revealed that conscription is unlikely to make a return in the short term as numbers are just about right.
Speaking to veteran broadcaster Andrew Marr on LBC, Sir Richard confirmed there would be no immediate plans to reintroduce conscription. However, he could not confirm nor deny the policy position as a long-term strategy.
"I cannot see conscription returning in the short term, but the situation in the world may deteriorate very significantly," the chief said. "I wouldn’t want to predict out beyond the next 10 years; right now, there are no plans to bring in conscription."
Instead, he explained that the government's plan to expand manpower would be to encourage voluntary participation, helping many join the army reserves. While he said that the regular force numbers are sitting pretty, it is worth growing the size of the reserves in case a war breaks out.
Conscription — where civilians are essentially forced to undergo military training — was brought to an end in the UK in 1960, whilst in many European countries, this lasted until the 1990s. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several nations — including the Baltic states — have reintroduced conscription as they could be likely targets for an aggressive Kremlin.
Sir Richard also said that many within the public would hear the call to join the army and serve happily if the UK was threatened. He explained: "I have every confidence in the fighting spirit of the nation.
"Whenever this nation has been asked, it stood up. What I was asking last night was for the nation to step up in the face of that threat."
However, recent surveys have shown a steep decline in serving in the army, with around 40% of Brits saying they would not take up arms to defend the nation. As well as this, conscription laws of the 20th century only mandated men to be drafted, with women being forced to stay behind.
But now, with women squarely within the army forces, it is unclear whether women would be exempted from the draft if one is issued. However, Britain's army remains strong as it continues to work with its NATO partners to scare off Russian threats.
Daily Star Sunday