Senior Ministry of Defence officials have acknowledged concerns about the UK’s readiness and ability to “sustain the fight,” following recent decisions to retire ageing military equipment.
Speaking before the Defence Committee on 17 December, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Magowan described current operational risks as “manageable” but admitted they remain “uncomfortable” in the short term.
Addressing questions about the scrapping of Typhoon Tranche 1 jets, amphibious assault ships, Puma helicopters, and Watchkeeper drones, Magowan defended the decisions as part of a “ruthless balance of investment” to prioritise future capabilities.
On the Royal Navy vessels recently decommissioned, he stated: “Three of those involved vessels that were no longer seaworthy. We were spending money against capabilities that were never going to be used operationally.” Similarly, the Watchkeeper drones were described as “no longer fit for operational purpose,” with new drone capabilities expected in 2025.
The retirement of Puma helicopters in Cyprus and Brunei sparked further concerns. Magowan explained that interim solutions are being explored to bridge the gap until replacement H-145 platforms enter service in 2026-27. “We’re looking at a range of capabilities right now, this week, providing advice to the Secretary of State on how we might plug those gaps,” he said, expressing confidence that solutions will be found.
Discussing Typhoon Tranche 1 jets, Magowan confirmed they would be replaced by newer Tranche 2 aircraft, particularly for operations in the Falklands. He admitted: “Reducing combat mass is not something we’d want to do necessarily, but we are increasing it through F-35 in the shorter term and GCAP in the longer term.”
However, when pressed about the broader impact on the UK’s deterrence capabilities, Magowan conceded: “We are concerned about our overall readiness. We are concerned about our ability to sustain the fight.” He highlighted key areas where investment is needed, including stockpiles of munitions, medical support, chemical and biological defences, and ensuring modern network infrastructure.
“There are areas where there is operational risk that we’re carrying, which is uncomfortable,” he said, stressing that “pre-emptive investments” are already being made to mitigate those risks.
The session underscored concerns over the MoD’s current readiness amid rising global threats and financial pressures. MPs expressed scepticism about whether savings from retiring older equipment could undermine deterrence in the short term. Magowan, however, remained firm that the Strategic Defence Review will focus on ensuring operational resilience and future capability delivery.
“We are ensuring that we are at the leading edge of future capabilities,” he concluded.
Unless more resources are made available, the SDR can do little more than prioritize some capabilities over others. Given the effective guarantee of funding for nuclear including AUKUS., there would seem to be little resource left to increase conventional equipment beyond plans already announced or underway. Whilst it is good that some acceleration in the T26 build schedule looks possible,,,, this will not be enough to compensate for the worse than expected state of T23s.
So many major programmes will not reach FOC until 2030- Ch3, Boxer, SPG, T31 with at best a small number of F35s added to the fleet. It is hard to imagine what substantive difference this SDR could make.
Assault ships no longer sea worthy 🙄 what a load of Bull .