UK’s Readiness to Fight a War Marred by Capability and Recruitment Issues, Say MPs

The UK will not be ready to fight an all-out war unless the government addresses the Armed Forces’ capability and stockpile shortages and recruitment crisis, MPs have warned. The Commons Defence Committee said the military is “consistently overstretched” with the demands of operations, and personnel are deployed leaving little time for training in warfighting. “The government risks being unable to build true warfighting and strategic readiness because of the sheer pace of operations, which could threaten the security of the UK,” the report said. The panel suggested the “unrelenting pressure” on personnel has exacerbated the crisis in the recruitment and retention of both regulars and reservists, with more people leaving the Armed Forces than joining....