In an unusual public intervention, the US Navy Secretary, Carlos Del Toro, has urged the United Kingdom to reconsider the scale and capabilities of its armed forces in light of increasing global threats.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, Mr Del Toro highlighted the paramount importance of the Royal Navy and suggested that bolstering the British Army might also be necessary.
Mr Del Toro’s comments come amid growing concerns about global instability, underscored by conflicts in various regions. His observations resonate with the recent expressions of concern by General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of the British Army, who remarked on the inadequacy of his forces to engage in a major conflict and the potential need for a citizen army.
Thank you @RUSI_org for hosting me in London for my maritime speech. The United Kingdom and the United States of America proudly sail together so that “Freedom’s Torch” will continue to shine brightly for all. Click the link to read the full speech.https://t.co/c1qKcjxk8a pic.twitter.com/vZbD46h2F3
— Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro (@SECNAV) January 25, 2024
While expressing “tremendous respect for” the UK’s military and acknowledging the “truly wonderful” joint efforts of the Royal Navy with the US in operations against the Houthis in the Red Sea, Mr Del Toro emphasised the urgency of reassessing the UK’s defence posture. “I think it is important for the United Kingdom to reassess where they are today given the threats that exist today,” he stated.
Despite recognising the sovereignty of the British government in making its own defence decisions, Mr Del Toro argued that, in light of the immediate economic and security challenges confronting both the United Kingdom and the United States, significant investments in the Navy are “significantly important“.
This forthright critique from a senior member of the US administration, especially from the UK’s principal ally, highlights the serious concerns regarding the progressive reductions in the UK’s defence budget.
Fact is and much the same for several hundred years the UK can choose to have a significantly scaled army or navy but not both.
A politician wanting to scrap something? Ah, it’s the Cuts!
Gather the army is torn regarding investment between hardware for the European theatre, and lighter assets for the wider world role? We have lighter forces for the wider role, the Marines, surely.
I doubt the army is torn between equipping for just one of two different roles. The army has always had to equip for multiple roles in multiple environments.
We have always had light role army units and formations – and have not had to rely exclusively on the RM for light role ground operations.
Problem is that our politicians seem to want neither.
The army is the smallest it’s ever been! So is the Navy! which one is supposed to be “significantly scaled” again!?
We have the resources to scale the navy, we are currently fourth ranked in the world by gross tonnage and given Russia’s ancient fleet of relics and inability to build new ships we could fairly easily be number 3.
Short of drafting people we could never dream of getting the army in to the top 10 of world armies by size.
So navy it is.
Is that a fact? We had both a significantly scaled army and navy during WW1, WW2 and the Cold War.
It seems to get more disturbing by the minute. LONDON — British lawmakers say the Royal Air Force now lacks capabilities across combat, air transport and early warning aircraft. A Ministry of Defence command paper in 2021 ordered cuts to aircraft numbers that are creating a combat air shortfall in jet numbers that will persist into the 2030s, the Parliamentary Defence Committee said in a report on aviation procurement released Sept. 10.2023 The committee said the British combat jet fleet now only provides a boutique capability and lacks numerical depth and an inadequate attrition reserve. “Combat aircraft numbers are already… Read more »
This is only good news for those who wish to do us harm. Active discussions are required about conscription as the number of boots on the ground is reducing exponentially. The new UK government following the next election is going to need to address NHS and defence as its two critical priorities. When your closest ally tells you to buckle up we should at least attempt to oblige.
I tend to agree with you maurice10. IAV 2024: British Army only has confirmed funding for 18% of equipment plan 26 January 2024 “The British Army only has confirmed funding for 18% of its GBP44 billion (USD55.9 billion) Equipment Plan 2023–33, British Army’s Chief of the General Staff General Patrick Sanders told Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicle (IAV) 2024 conference held in London from 22 to 25 January. He also spoke of the need for the British Army to have a strength of 120,000 personnel, comprising regular soldiers, reservists, and strategic reserves (previously trained predominantly ex-regular service personnel held at… Read more »
I think Poland smelt the coffee and made a very wise choice to partner with South Korea.
Apart from all the partnering that it has done with UK defence companies…
And both nations have ordered F35. Wise choice, wouldn’t you agree.
It’s about time one or two others woke up and smelt the coffee too. Meteor/Spear 3 by the end of 2030 and the engines required for TR3/Block 4 sometime in the 2030s. I won’t mention where we can expect to be in the queue for the engine upgrade or the additional costs involved. “The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning should receive additional UK-specific weapons “by the end of the decade”, the government said on 16 January. Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said that, with the MBDA AIM-132 Advanced… Read more »
Conscription is just for world wars. There was an unusual reason why we had conscription from 1945 to 1960 – we were dismantling the Empire and temporarily needed a large army – we were not engaged in warfighting a large peer opponent.
Don’t need conscription now – we need well resourced regular and reserve forces financed by an up-to-5% of GDP Defence Vote.
What is required is an intelligent debate on how to boost men/women power within our forces, which appeals and at the same time is a constructive process. The public school system has actively trained students in the ethos of military life and this concept could be broadened into other tiers of education? This would help students to consider a period of enlistment that could be under TA tutorship. Such a scheme would require funding but avoid the stigma of conscription. On another subject Graham, that CH3 turret looks considerably boxer and deeper than the current design. In terms of profile… Read more »
The cadet movement has also instilled young people with the ethos of military life. Certainly need an intelligent debate as you suggest – but very quickly! TA? Not Territorial Army, surely? Since 2014, now called the Army Reserve (AR). CR3 turret – if deeper then it would be to accomodate the very long (1m) single piece 120mm smoothbore round in the ready round magazine in the turret bustle. Boxier than CR2 turret? – I don’t think there is much in it. Profile – one of the most key metrics is frontal profile when in hull-down defensive position (turret width and… Read more »
Thanks,🙂
Nothing of that is new.
I know, but someone on here clearly doesn’t.
The problem is our politicians prioritize the nosiest set of left wing activists instead of doing what’s best for the UK overall. Thus we get obscene spending on non-essentials.
The shite state of our military has nothing to do with left wing activists and everything to do with the last 5 conservative priministers..let’s put the blame where the blame lays and not with random scapegoats who have zero power or influence on those who had the power.
I disagree totally. The culture of the country is leftist and extreme leftist in Media, Academia, Arts, basically the Priesthood class. The Media can support a rebellion with violence tomorrow. They certainly supported BLM protests in USA and its +20 deaths of political violence. Tories are impotent to do anything against the sacred cows that get more money from taxes. I find it bizarre how someone can say the Tories are giving money to their friends when the armed forces and the industrial base of it tend to go Tory more than the rest of the country and have been… Read more »
the reality is those in power decided what to spend money on and we have had a conservative government for 14 years…do you actually think anyone would have cared a jot if they had spent 2.5% on defence or ordered the T26 five years earlier…or upgraded the challenger two..upgraded warrior etc..these were all choices the conservative government made no one else and to blame anyone other than those in power who made the decisions is quite frankly a bit bizarre…their voter base would have still voted for them..they would not have been tossed out of power…the Conservative Party could not… Read more »
This is so far removed from reality that it’s funny. The current gov is gutting the public purse and handing it out to their mates before they inevitably lose leaving the burning wreckage for someone else to pick up. Austerity set us on this current path. The 2010 review into the armed forces has put us in such a crap position add in any extra issues across 14 years and you get what you deserve.
Its a deliberate scorched earth policy- destroy public services, bankrupt the country and run up such a massive public sovereign debt that the new government- Labour, will have an entire term in office just trying to get to grips with the utter mud-caked mess that is the public services left by +15 years of Tory party mayhem. Then once Labour have served a single term of office trying to stabilise the situation the Tories will have the utter bare faced cheek to state Labour’s record in office hasn’t been very good hoping that the entire country has forgotten what an… Read more »
Sadly Mr Bell, Labour appear to have no plan, just more woke nonsense and even more borrowing….
To be fair that’s what happened when the Tories took over Labour! All of them spend and waste to suit their own political agenda, all of are absolute wank and no longer do we vote for who’s best, but who seems to be the least worst! Look at the front benches of all 3 main parties, third rate wannabes throughout mate.
To be fair SATT44, a measure of Austerity was needed to bring the National debt back under some sort of control after Labours run away spending and bank bailouts.
That said, an already weakened MOD by Labour cuts, should have been left well alone, the damage created by SDSR 2010 was utterly reckless and bloody dangerous!
Cameron is absolutely responsible for that damage.
Er, we have had a rabid dogma driven right wing Government for coming up to 14 years now!
Doris @ No 10 was dogmatic?
I agree he looked like a poodle whose blow dry had gone wrong. That is the only dog involved.
The only thing Doris was dogmatic about was Doris – everything else was people pleasing.
Well Doris was controlled by the right of his party..they popped him in power as their poodle..even if he was not of the far right himself..
Ah it’s labour’s fault. The usual bs response on here. Nothing to do with the 5 greed driven tory prime ministers we’ve had in more than a decade? Nothing to do with the inept greed driven fuckwits they surrounded themselves with? No, of course not. Its someone else’s fault clearly! No wonder these vermin keep getting voted in if this is how easily fooled the average uk sheep is…
Given the choice, I’d quash any ideas of ‘vote wining’ tax cuts before the next General Election. Don’t get me wrong, just like the next man or woman, I’d love a handback from UK Gov but, only if it’s sensibly funded with no burning issues to resolve. With all the austerity we’ve faced over the past decade wouldn’t it be better to spend this money on fixing problems, defense being one of them? Same old argument though, I suppose, a tax break is a potential vote sweetener, spending more on Defense isn’t! Cynical politics, it’s what enrages me with politics.
There is no such thing as a hand back from HMG it’s either taking less of our money of us or money that’s been put on the National credit card. Most folks forget the fact that we put 80% of 9.5million people’s wages on the credit card during furlough and that’s why taxes went up afterwards. The simple fact is that the only reason the Government is even able to think about reducing the Tax Burden is the interest payments on our National dept have reduced due inflation coming down. Nothing else, no growth in GDP or a sudden windfall… Read more »
I think there will be a £2.5-5Bn one off to MOD.
I also think that a trajectory will be set for the 2.5% or if they are really nasty 3% to poison the well.
It will be investing to hear the responses….
” is the interest payments on our National dept have reduced due inflation coming down.”
That is not how it works. Inflation helps payment of debt because most debt is not directly linked to it and also because up to certain level inflation increase tax income.
Inflation is a lovely way to manage national debt…the higher the inflationary pressure the lower the debt burden becomes..
DP – Joe public doesn’t think about defence when voting in the UK. It is still a battle between those who want to keep more of their own money and those who want to raid the coffers of the rich. It is perhaps complicated by the fact that virtually everyone thinks all politicians are only in it for themselves. It’s difficult to have a sensible debate on spending, taxation etc. with things as they are.
Mark – The Times/Sunday Times Readers’ poll this week asked: ‘Should the UK increase its military spending?’ Out of 15,468 votes cast, 94% said ‘Yes’. Six percent said ‘No’.
Mind you, I should think that’s a rather specific demographic…
Well i bet you can ask that question about any government department and it will have same answer. People were corrupted by their own tax money.
The institute for fiscal studies have widely reported and published on this matter. These are clever financial sector and public sector accounting experts. They unanimously all agree any tax cuts pre election are just give aways to win votes and immediately after the election there will need to be an immediate reversal and in fact taxes will have to be risen if we as a nation want to draw down the proportion of national debt and interest repayments. The only way to clear the debt is a package of investment and growing the economy so tax receipts by default are… Read more »
The Tories plan 2 tax cuts before going to the country so that they create a situation in which they can ( ably assisted by their press) accuse Labour of not being able to fund its election pledges without either reversing the Tory tax reductions or increasing borrowing. The election campaign is underway; the defence budget and other public services are collateral damage.
Sad that a foreign government can see what our own cannot, or is it a case of 🙈🙉
It is a case of too many priorities and too little money.
The government is aware of the situation, but they are reluctant to acknowledge it.
And so say all of us!!!! Having tiny forces any time other than in an exceptionally peaceful world is insanity. The world situation is extrememly dangerous & we’ve been tracking the growth of these threats well over a decade, yet HMG/MOD have been carrying on as though disarmamnent/appeasement would somehow end all wars. Added to that, HMG ministers have been lying/misrepresenting that our forces are absolutely fine, nothing to see here. We should be a rock in NATO, but instead are virtually absent or asking allies to fill capabilities we’ve let wither. A situation that is an invitation to our… Read more »
We are still the 2nd most capable Armed Force’s in NATO. We are globally deployed. And I don’t see any other nations doing we are doing in the Red Sea apart from the US. We are facing big problems. Especially with recruitment/retention. But we are not the only one’s.
Barely TBH.
I’m a glass half full kind of guy but the stock of glasses and wine is running low……
It is. Just other nations have made big cuts over the years as well. We are not the only ones.
Most other countries have got the memo and increased spending.
Not so much UK – even clearly telegraphed gradual increases over a 5 year period to 2.5% or better 3% would make a large difference to planning.
It would greatly benefit planning. Most other countries are only increasing budgets to the level the UK has been at for years. And many still below 2%. I know we need new kit today. But many of the capabilities coming are genuinely superb.
It agree that Typhoon, F35B, QEC, T45 (upgraded), Astute B2 and T26 are all very special.
I expect to see T45 upgrades accelerated and things link NSM mounts added across the fleet pretty fast.
I’d also be unsurprised if Sea Ceptor PODS didn’t show pretty quickly as at least a trials item. Even if it is only 6-12 shots it changes the dynamics if it is distributed across a fleet.
You’d think that Pods or containerised missile platforms would make the resupply/reloading at sea or on off a wharf quicker and easier?
Might be a bit ugly but CAMM Pods for the T45 anyone? Down the sides and in front of the Asters? Could be room for a 20′ and 2*40’s there.
RCS is the issue with high end combatants. Sticking 2 x TUE height anywhere on an RCS designed…..leads to degradation in performance?
PODS us for a quick fix is perfect.
Most of our problems are not quality (T45 engines excepted). Most of our problems are too few people because of cuts and poor incentives for retention. There’s not enough to crew all our ships anymore, too few going through pilot training, Army battalions hollowed out and so on.
Only on paper. The entire RFA is parked. Almost the entire T23 frigate force is also parked. 2/3rd’s of the T45 force is out of commission in some sort, and luckily so because they can’t be staffed anyways.
Unfortunately Robert we cannot compare ourselves against our western allies but instead compare our resources against the threat and the threat is china and we ( the west ) are not in any way on a trajectory to manage that threat without a profoundly bloody and devastating war, that we may even potentially lose.
Absolute nonsenses, we have zero capability for war fighting apart from bombing Arab countries with laser guided bombs .
I’m certain that HMG consider the defence budget as existing to support our defence industry and jobs and therefore votes for themselves, and certainly not that the defence industry or indeed the defence budget is there to support our armed forces.
Thank you, US Navy Secretary. They won’t listen to us, maybe they’ll listen to you!
Seriously 😂 You make it sound like HMG have the cash just sitting around to do any of this.
My view is to spend now- get the orders in and the rearmaments programme begun, now, whilst we still can and whilst we are still in the “pre-war phase”- Grant Shapp and David Cameron’s own phrase there.
Odd that government ministers would come out and state this and then do precisely nothing about it.
… perhaps they will in the coming months. That said there isn’t much money to commit to achieve the desired result.
For over forty years after WW2, all governments had the money, but now we don’t? It’s a question of prioritisation. If defence is the first duty of government, it needs first bite of the cherry. Not transport nor the NHS, nor education, nor migrant hotels. The UK government spends 45% of our GDP. Increasing defence spending from 2% to 3% is not an impossibility.
Government should protect it’s citizens first anf foremost. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the money spent on defence has simply moved to protecting citizens in other ways eg. NHS. Defence spending will increase over time however the Government & the opposition believe the way of achieving a significant increase in funding is to expand the economy. They are both right.
Nearly forgot to mention, according to the press, the Chancellor has roon for tax cuts. Which magic money tree gives “wiggle room” for tax cuts, but nothing for Defence?
Tax cuts are about expanding the economy. An expanded economy provides taxes to be spent on lots of things including NHS & defence. Tax cuts are also about winning elections because you have made the electorate feel more positive about their lives. Whilst that might be a tall order at this point for the Tories, Labour are also in a difficult position as many of it’s previous strategies have not worked out well.
HMG finds the coin to spend 16 billion on foreign aid every year.
25% of that (4bn/yr) would solve almost every budget shortfall in the military.
Maybe Chris but the UK armed forces need to invest significantly not just plug holes.Also that foreign aid is having a positive effect in certain (if not all) circumstances.
Well I know where we can find £8m a day! and none of these people flooding in will be remotely interested in becoming British and actually have the idea of serving the country they are squatting in.
3 Billion a year is still small beer. We perhaps need to conspire with other countries to bring about a situation whereby all those people can and want to remain in their own countries.
Its a shame it requires foreign powers to keep trying to inform our political incompetent leaders about the foolhardy nature of defence cuts and the fact we should be rebuilding our armed forces back up, whilst we can, in this “pre-war” period. There is no point trying to build a military once we are already fighting a high intensity war- we simply wont have the time to do that. It takes years to build warships, fighter jets, tanks and more crucially to train their crews. Therefore never has the statement “you fight wars with the weapons and personnel you have… Read more »
Exactly. And what are Spey and Tamar doing right now? Let’s get them home and up gun the R2’s with a 57mm and a camcopter, and relocate the 30mm to the stern instead of the 15t crane. Do it before we have to send them somewhere hot because that’s all we have left.
As I just replied to Mark B (below)…
The Times/Sunday Times Readers’ poll this week asked: ‘Should the UK increase its military spending?’ Out of 15,468 votes cast, 94% said ‘Yes’. Six percent said ‘No’.
Mind you, I should think that’s a rather specific demographic…
But that survey is not asking the full picture, should we increase spending on the NHS is also yes, transport.. yes, that’s the easy bit, what should cut spending on to enable this increase
Foreign aid.
It shouldn’t exceed 500m/month in peace time. That’s 6bn a year.
Well if “bolstering” means more ships, subs and army personnel, vehicles and equipment, not less, let’s hope the UK government will respond to this little bit of friendly pressure from the US.
The focus is on freeing up two T45’s and two T23’s for CSG25. Including defect rectification, preparations, training and a preliminary work-up exercise, their diaries will have be kept clear for at least a year. So that is HALF of the RN’s operational escort force unavailable for other tasking. Hence the reluctance, despite American pressure, to commit two escorts long-term to Operation Prosperity Guardian. It was hoped that the French might contribute an escort, but that ended when they decided to send the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group to the Pacific at the same time as CSG25. Also, not… Read more »
The woke “be kind” approach to all problems great and small only goes so far. We still need to pack a punch if things aren’t going the way we want because some tyrannical dictator threatens us, as Russia is every day.
The real problem facing all defence budgets is that the cost of equipment has risen far faster than general inflation. A Ch1 MBT cost@£1.5 m in the late 1980s or@£4.2 in 2023. A Boxer APC will cost over£4.5m, Ajax @£9m and the Ch3 upgrade alone @£9m apiece. Warship costs have risen even faster. Just to maintain force numbers at 2000 levels would have required a major budget increase. Even the US, with its enormous funding is struggling to keep more than 50 surface warships at combat readiness; and its combat aircraft fleet is the oldest for 50 years. We could… Read more »
You were preaching to the converted. It is the politicians that need to understand the simple facts of life. They are happy to say we live in an increasingly dangerous world but unwilling to do anything about it. I hope 🤞🏼 that Labour, keen to show the Corbyn era is dead and they take national security seriously will do a serious defence review, one that is not treasury driven and start a year on year incremental increase in the defence budget towards north of 3%. It should also be made clear to those who are sub 2% to get their… Read more »
Russia, China and Argentina are very happy with the massive cuts in the British ministry of defence alias ministry of cuts.
Traitors politicians.
Last week, I had a strange discussion with a British man at a bar in Doha who had no idea the Royal Navy was so small.
He disputed that there were only 2 RN carriers and we almost came to blows as I listed the current woeful fleet strength.
This kind of willful ignorance is what we’re up against.
Believe me it not worth it Jack , some months ago I was having a conversion in my local some just laugh and others couldn’t care a less .Cheers 🍺
The Americans are telling the useless fxxxxxxg tory government something we already know, thank god that pile of crap will be gone ,Labour had better have a good defence strategy and policies, the pile of crap that is in government cares nothing for defence, yemen has proved the stupidity of sunak and Co how useless their government defence policies, 30 years ago we would had a good number of ships in that region ,now 1 or 2 ,
Spot on 🍺
All three services are far to small has we all know .But now the USA are telling our government ,but will it make any difference ? Probably not Sunak just doesn’t get Defence . 🙄
Personally I think its time to do away with Britain’s armed forces. Get rid of them all, sell off all kit, equipment vehicles, ships etc etc. The defence of the ‘realm’, protecting trade, sometimes being the world’s police, these things can no longer be left in the hands of government ministers, and civilians. They have no idea, and no clue as to why we need our own military capabilities. Many of them are corrupt, incompetent, and totally lack all understanding of all things military. To them, the military is an area which can be robbed and raped of funds, as… Read more »
Well people voted for a pile of inept crap called Conservatives ,I’m going to get the usual tory voters deniers that think their little world is safe ,making money for their rich prick friends and to fxxk with the people of this country, all of my 57 years on this earth have I never seen such a fxxxxxxg bad government so corrupt, I’m getting to the stage that the tories have been so corrupted, they have been paid by certain foreign governments or individuals to do harm to Britain and our people,that fxxxxxxg pile of sxxt government will be gone… Read more »
Doesn’t Mr Del Toro know that HMG did an IR Refresh and DCP Refresh in Mar 2023 to reflect on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and learn lessons and then implement those lessons learned?…and that we strengthened our Defence posture accordingly!
Really, we didn’t strengthen anything…we continued to weaken…but we are spending over £50bn on Defence for the first time ever as Rishi and Grant keep banging on about. To them it is only about having hit this milestone.