War-ready Russia could wipe out the British Army’s only fighting unit in one afternoon, report reveals
Experts believe Britain could now deploy little more than a brigade of 5,000-10,000 war-ready troops
HUGE defence cuts mean a 'competent enemy' like Russia could now completely destroy the British Army's only fighting unit in ONE AFTERNOON, a new report has warned.
An army think-tank has said years of continual budget cuts mean Britain's ability to stay an effective fighting force has been 'effectively removed'.
The paper, compiled after two days of seminars attended by serving and retired army officers and academics, is a startling insight into Britain’s ability to respond to a Russian attack.
It states cuts have resulted in a 'hollowing out or depletion of the army's capabilities', especially when faced with a severe threat, .
Worryingly, it discusses the possibility of losing the army's whole 'division in an afternoon'.
And although it admits Britain is not at immediate risk of a direct attack it adds the country could easily be dragged into battle by its allies.
The report explains: "This raises an important question: is the British Army ready for such a possibility?
"If one merely sees preparedness through net manpower and kinetic force capacity, the answer might be a simple ‘no’: the British Army is at its smallest and has faced years of budget cuts."
The shocking study was compiled by the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR), the army's own think tank, which is based at the royal military academy in Sandhurst.
"The prospect of 'losing the division in an afternoon' will weigh heavily on the chain of command, with strategic-to-tactical command compression almost inevitable as politicians appreciate the stakes involved in committing the division to battle,' it states.
The report also adds how if the UK were at war, there would be 'political pressure' to try and safeguard the fighting division.
The last time the UK sent a division to war was in 2003 before the invasion of Iraq but experts believe it would currently not be able to deploy much more than a brigade of between 5,000 and 10,000 troops.
However, the Ministry of Defence told the : "The army... is ready and capable of deploying a potent, large scale, war-fighting force at divisional level with sufficient notice."
News of the report comes as the British Army sent a tank through the Channel Tunnel last week for the first time as the military prepares to respond to Russian ground forces in Europe.
Soldiers sent tanks, the Warrior fighting vehicle and recovery vehicles across to France on train wagons in the early hours on Wednesday.
They made the 40-minute return journey a few hours later.