General Sir Patrick Sanders explains that deterring Russia requires “more of the army to be ready, more of the time” and that he expects “all ranks to get ready, train hard, and engage.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Britain and its allies face their “1937 moment” and must do everything possible to prevent another world war, according to the new head of the army.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce an increase in UK defense spending this week, in response to mounting security threats.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “expansionist ambitions” pose the greatest threat he has ever seen to sovereignty, democracy, and the freedom to live without violence.
Mr. Johnson and other leaders of the 30-member NATO alliance are preparing for a historic summit in Madrid, which will be dominated by the West’s response to Russia’s war when he made these remarks at an annual army conference in London.
General Sanders, who assumed command of the army last month, has stated that “mobilizing the army to meet the new threat we face” is his sole objective.
He stated that the British Army is not mobilizing to provoke war in Europe, but rather to prevent it.
He described the scale of the Ukrainian conflict as unprecedented.
“In all my years in uniform, I have never seen a clearer threat to the principles of sovereignty and democracy and the freedom to live without fear of violence than President Putin’s brutal aggression and expansionist ambitions,” he said.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who is also expected to speak at the army conference before traveling to the NATO summit, will echo his warnings.
Following a multibillion-pound increase in defense spending this parliamentary term, the defense secretary is expected to express a desire for increased spending on the British armed forces beginning in 2025.
“The defense secretary is expected to emphasize that now that the threat has shifted, governments must be willing to invest to ensure our safety,” a defense source explained.
Another defense official stated: “We do not comment on alleged leaks. The defense secretary and the prime minister have always stated that the government will respond to any change in threat, which is why the Ministry of Defence received a record-breaking defense budget in 2020.”
As a result of Russia’s invasion altering the security landscape in Europe, the head of NATO has already disclosed that allies will substantially increase the size of a high readiness force to more than 300,000 personnel, up from approximately 40,000.
General Sanders elaborated on the threat posed by Russia and how his army is adapting, with a greater emphasis on urban combat and rebuilding costly weapons stockpiles – which had been depleted to save money since the end of the Cold War.
All ranks, from general to lance corporal, will be required to “get ready, train hard, and engage,” he said.
This is our 1937 moment,” the army chief said, alluding to the pivotal years preceding World War II.
“We are not at war, but we must act swiftly to prevent being drawn into one if we fail to contain territorial expansion… I will do everything possible to ensure that the British Army contributes to preventing war.”
The challenge necessitates that the army modernizes, adopting new technologies like cyber warfare and long-range missiles while retaining traditional soldiering skills.
General Sanders stated that in the event of a battle, “standoff air, maritime, and cyber fires are unlikely to dominate on their own – land will continue to be the decisive domain,” adding, “you can’t cyber your way across a river.”
He stated that the army’s mobilization is not a “rush to war at the speed of the railroad timetables of 1914,” but rather an “acceleration of the most important parts of Future Soldier’s bold modernization agenda… a greater emphasis on readiness and combined arms training.”
Future Soldier refers to the plans for the army’s capabilities.
This will necessitate additional training in integrating the various domains of warfare – land, sea, air, cyber, and space – as well as the reconstruction of stockpiles.
Additionally, General Sanders stated that the army will “evaluate the deployability of our vehicle fleet.”
This could be a sign that a decision will be made regarding the multibillion-pound Ajax minitank development program, which has been plagued by problems and has not yet been delivered.
He expects “all ranks to get ready, train hard, and engage” to deter Russia.
