The Ministry of Defence accepted that it is operating under increasing strain, with rising global demands and ongoing capability gaps placing pressure on force readiness and delivery.
The issue was raised during a Defence Committee session on 17 March 2026 on the MoD Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25, where MPs questioned senior officials on whether the department can meet current operational requirements alongside longer-term commitments.
Permanent Secretary Jeremy Pocklington set out the context at the start of the session, pointing to simultaneous pressures across multiple theatres. He said UK forces are currently engaged in the Middle East, continuing support to Ukraine, and responding to increased activity in the High North, adding “the demands on defence are rising.” He also said the department must be ready for “wars of necessity rather than just wars of choice,” reflecting a shift in the operating environment.
MPs pressed on whether existing capability is sufficient to meet those demands. Questions focused on force availability, concurrency and whether commitments risk being overstretched. Air Marshal Tim Jones acknowledged the challenge of balancing multiple requirements, noting that force planning involves judgments about which commitments are likely to be called upon at the same time, rather than maintaining a one-to-one match between forces and tasks.
Concerns were also raised about specific capability areas. In discussion on programmes, officials confirmed issues affecting areas such as mine-hunting and digital systems, alongside wider questions about logistics, integration and the ability to deliver new capabilities at pace. Rupert Pearce said digital programmes had historically been “underfunded, under resourced,” and are now a priority within future plans.
Asked whether recent conflicts had exposed weaknesses, Pearce agreed that the strategy is correct but said “time is critical,” while Pocklington said events since the Strategic Defence Review had reinforced its direction but increased the urgency of delivery.
Gaps persist because of the laughable efforts to recruit atre all the nation has to offer fir a career with the armed forces. Made in Carlisle? I didn’t know that anything was made in Carlisle at my lowly high school we had a career teacher who would provide real guidance on the merit of joining the forces our head had the foresight to play the old warship series featuring h. M. S her and the fabulous series of sailing with the old ark royal on a states deployment. That was enough to get me and five of my schoolmates t give it a bash 22 years later on I had tears in my eyes because I was leaving what had been the best years of my life.
What careers teacher would even be allowed to suggest joining up? Thats assuming they would even want to mention a career in the forces!
Simple we have gaps because we gift or retire things with out in most cases way before the replacement even ordered. Strange none of the top brass brought up gaps in AWAC’s/heavy Arty/GBAD/ Tracked recon, did they forget about that again or is this just another statement glossing over the mess and lack of kit like its all in hand, when its not. Fools in charge just do not get it or will not admit the real prolems so the real problems never get addressed.
Its as if they do not want talk the truth or can not face it or they simply are mental and think its not as bad as it is
Another “no shit Sherlock” episode.
Do ANY of these people know the orbat assets we had in 1997 compared to now?
If they did, there’s nothing else needing saying.
Tech only goes so far, we need more mass, and nobody is prepared to offer that.
So, it’s all posturing waffle.
Basically I think the 1997 defence review should be shoved in everyone’s face with a “what the hell are you doing “ question.
It would be great if the media actually did a then and now stories on the 1997 defence review.. the lack of threats vs capabilities and numbers required vs the massive threats today and the utter desolation that is the numbers and depth of the UKs armed forces..
On a side note I was reading today that General Carter is saying they should send the navy to the strait and accept the loss of ships… what ships can we loss exactly..
I turn off my attention whenever Carter, Stirup, or West speak.
All presided, and now complain.
Totally agree mate, how West has the blood nerve to say anything, he stood mute as the axe swung at the RN, again and again…
Goes along with the ‘what do they actually think behind closed doors’ question. Particularly Carns, unless he’s a complete idiot I bet he is fuming inside, going into politics was supposed to be his big opportunity to change the system from the inside and it isn’t working.
There are a whole load of interview questions that would be fun to ask ministers, forcing them to say the 1997 review was too ambitious would be a fun one.
Gosh so Carter thinks it is OK for men to die to cover for his cuts – I’ve an idea send him and his relatives as crew if he is so keen.
The stupidity of suggesting something like this is unbelievable.
Yep apparently he was reported to have said
“Nick Carter, who served as the country’s most senior military officer, made the case for joining Donald Trump’s push to break Iran’s stranglehold on Gulf shipping, even as he spelled out the scale of the threat facing any vessels committed to the mission.”
The IRGC, he cautioned reporters, had spent years honing its ability to dominate the waterway through an arsenal of fast boats, drone swarms and shore-launched missiles — making it one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world for any navy to operate in.
He explained how our escort ships would also face tough opposition, saying: “You are very vulnerable when you do it.
“On the assumption there are no mines in the water the threat is principally about shore-based drones and shore-based missiles.
“Modern air defence systems are capable of dealing with that, as we have seen over the course of the last two or three weeks of this war.
“But we should be in no doubt that if they put together all of the IRGC capabilities … it would quite exciting going through the straits of Hormuz.”
Asked if “quite exciting” meant ships could be lost, he added: “It would be challenging, no doubt about it, the risks as I have described them are significant“
So yep he basically thinks we should sacrifice ships and men to help correct the USAs mistake.
We still get the odd person on here who says ‘ give Labour a chance’…
I would contend that Labour are even worse than the abysmal Tories on defence, they have seen how bad its been and while the International situation continues to decline, have done absolutely fu#king nothing!!!
A bunch of absolute bloody leftie clowns, too terrified to do anything about defence because they might loose 50 or 60 socalist MPs to to Whacko Zackos looney party…
God help us, I really hope the country can survive 3 more years of this absolute show.
Some I used to have some quite “lively” debates with are still in hiding.
We are way beyond capability gaps. A capability gap is not being able to refuel our own planes in the air. Where we are at now is an inability to fight. I fear that if the British Army had to go to war against the Russians today it would get slaughtered due to not having the requisite kit. No AD, no Artillery, no recon, insufficient armoured vehicles, insufficient infantry – the list goes on. The Navy wouldn’t be able to put to sea. I think the RAF would be able to put up a reasonable show but one would have to question for how long before they were worn out. It is sad, truly sad.
We have gaps in capability now because since 2010 the MoD has become comfortable accepting the risk of not having a capability believing (not necessarily un rightly at the time) that it could rely on Allie’s (USA) to cover gaps.
HMG is no longer under that assumption. With AEW finally being deployed other than ABM and theatre level land based air defence there are no more major gapped capabilities however SEAD, fleet solid support and ASW escorts are currently in a very fragile state waiting for replacements which are all on order. Other programs like the SSN’s and T45 are still suffering from availability problems caused by COVID and underfunding of infrastructure in the 2010’s but most have a solution in place but it will take several more years for everything to be fixed.
I think we are turning a corner but it won’t be until the end of the decade until the headlines die down
No major gapped capabilities?
Debatably on paper but in reality how confident are you that Russian subs couldn’t come undetected and launch a cruise missile strike on all our fixed radars, airbases, naval bases including almost the entire RN presently alongside or in drydock and intelligence centres?
Article 5 nato stuff for sure but it’s outrageous to be so exposed to an attack.
If we had a couple of attack subs out on patrol, 3 ASW frigates in the high north and even just some basic land based defence against drones / cruise missiles we’d be in a much better place.
We have regular contributors on here that will argue that 100 Typhoons is sufficient for current commitments and whatever comes our way in the next 3 years. They were also saying this 2 years ago. At some point we need more pilots, more FJs. The current tempo isn’t sustainable – in people or airframes
Good Evening,
Not surprising the forces are strained! Lack of Funds, Lack of planning, poor political leadership! No idea when the Defence Rundung Plan will be published etc. There are war’s going on in Ukraine Iran etc. and there seems to be no sense of urgency at all! I do not understand how nothing seems to Happen in a positive sense! Wake up and start funding our forces with Funds for a war footing!
Thats it for me! For years here I have made such comments but to no avail unfortunately! I see no Dede in continuing! Sad very sad that the politicians Right left or centre seem to grasp nothing!
Good luck to Thors who care! Nick
Sorry for those spelling mistakes! No chance to correct here! Nick Hamburg Germany
Can you get a PhD in stating the bleeding obvious? Must be a lot of intellectuals hiding in the MOD basement then.
The UK is now reaping the benefits of 30 years slash and burn to our armed forces, the privatisation of swaths of our armed forces has not helped and in a lot of cases is hindering the investment needed.
If we look at the current problems around the world and then look at the current time lines expected to fix at least some of our current problems we see that there is at least a 10 year gap in having the equipment to handle the problems of today let alone the problems that might be around in 10 years. So we need solutions today not in 10 years.
That should start with the Armed forces being able to recruit the personnel needed directly getting rid of the 18 month waiting list and the proffits Capita/Serco make from recruitment.
Allow the Army to buy off the shelf equipment to help fill the gaps so that we can feild at least 3 armoured divisions (not the 1.5 we have at the minuet) along with at least 3 light divisions.
The RN is up sh-t creek with out a paddle at the moment and the only way is to insist that the build time for vessels should be less than 5 years and to give the contractors more confidence that they will not be laying off there work force after the shortened delivery cycle is to have more ships on order more T26’s, T31/T32 replacements for the Amphibious fleet, replacements for the RFA fleet. and more submarines at lest 12 SSN’s and a small fleet of SSK’s and more capacity to transport our heavy equipment to Europe.
The RAF is probably (at the moment) the UK’s most effective force but with the limited number of aircraft and the high tempo of operations it will not be long before there is a need to replace the current airframes (and pilots) so we need to be ordering more Typhoons and speed up the Typhoon replacement program.
The RAFs heavy lift ability took a big shock under the last government with the loss of the C130 so more lift capacity is needed.
Yes this is all going to take money that we supposedly do not have, well if we look at the current procurement set up with most of the very large proffits being made going overseas this should be stopped with all profits having to be limited to 10% along with investment in UK defence infrastructure.
I am just anouther old has-been trying to make this sh-t sandwich we find our-selves having to eat due to the greed of our political classes more palatable.
Working “under strain” is not an accurate description. We have a navy with too few ships to deploy to a region where they really are going to be needed. We have an Air Force which lack the ability to defend against drone and ballisitc missiles in a region full of drones and ballistic missiles. We have an army which would struggle to deploy a single armoured brigade. This isn’t a “stretch” this is fundamental dysfunction and the government and especially the Treasury need to wake up and stop treating this as if it is business as usual. For the Treasury to continue ro ignore reality only proves that Treasury is itself dysfunctional and it’s leadership possibly insane.
Gaps we will always have Gaps unless an injection of money. ,And for the manpower fined a new way of recruitment or conscription ..Conscription is far from ideal I Get that but to be honest it’s looking like the only way has many young people share no interest in the Armed forces which I can’t blame them when we have HMGs ran by clowns these past several years or so. Oh apparently unemployment is up . 🙄
It’s what we get for living on the lam for 40+ years both the government and society as a whole now it’s time to get back to the hard reality of the grindstone as the money and credit has run out. The media is going to have to do it’s job in telling people the truth about the state of the nations armed forces and holding the spivs and chancers who have presided over this situation for the past 40+ years accountable. The man on the street is going to have to get a sharp wake up call instead of thinking “me grandad served in the war” or “i’m not getting conscripted mate they can’t send us all to jail” is going to cut it with the way the world is heading.