Armed Forces Need More Money From Britain: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace

 Defence Secretary Ben Wallace

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has stated that the British government needs to give the Armed Forces more money from Britain if they are going to be able to continue operations across the globe. This came after a recent report revealed that there was a major shortage in military personnel, equipment and training between 2019 and 2024. The report was released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) themselves on 10 July, but Wallace highlighted it during his appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast with program host Nicky Campbell. He warned that unless more is done, it could cause problems for the British Army and Royal Navy over the next few years while they struggle to continue their activities abroad due to lack of funding. He said: “…I think what this report highlights is we have got a significant shortage within our armed forces over the next five years as well as beyond that, so we need to make sure we are putting money where it is required. So I am pleased that last week for example the Chancellor stood up for our national security interests and agreed new spending on defence which will go towards closing these gaps - but we need more than just one-off spending announcements from government if we are going to fix this long-term.”

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Ben Wallace on the 5 Live Interview

On 6 July, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast with program host Nicky Campbell to discuss a range of defence topics. Wallace discussed the shortage of personnel, equipment and training in the British Armed Forces which was revealed in a report from the MoD in June. Wallace said: “We have had significant issues within our armed forces in recent years, including a significant shortage of officers, particularly in the senior ranks, and a lack of new equipment such as helicopters and unmanned aircraft to support our operations. We need to address these issues and we need to address them now if we are going to ensure our Armed Forces are ready to respond to the challenges of the future.”

Defence Sec Says the British Army Is 'Under-Prepared'

During the radio interview, Wallace said that the British Army is “under-prepared”. He stated that there is a shortage of helicopters, tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as training for soldiers. He said: “What this report highlights is that we have got a significant shortage within our armed forces over the next five years as well as beyond that, so we need to make sure we are putting money where it is required. So I am pleased that last week for example the Chancellor stood up for our national security interests and agreed new spending on defence which will go towards closing these gaps - but we need more than just one-off spending announcements from government if we are going to fix this long-term.”

Weapons Supplied by UK to Ukraine

During the radio interview, Wallace was asked about the UK’s weapons shipments to Ukraine. He said: “There is a long history of encouraging people around the world to buy British-made equipment and British-made military equipment and what we have been doing is encouraging third countries to buy our equipment and they do actually pay a great deal of money for that. We are the leading manufacturer of small arms in the world and the reason companies like Heckler and Koch and others, they are based in Germany but they all have British-made components, is because we sell them billions of pounds of military equipment every year.”

Source: BBC News

NLAW

Ben Wallace on the Lack of Defence Funding and Slow Spending

On the topic of defence spending, Wallace stated that the government has been too slow to offer defence funding. He said: “…we have got a serious shortage within our armed forces in terms of manpower and equipment, particularly helicopters and tanks and armoured vehicles. We are at an important point in time where there is going to be an increasing threat from countries like Russia and China, so I want to see a significant increase in defence funding over the next few years so that we can close these gaps and make sure that our Armed Forces are ready to respond.”

Portable anti-tank missile launcher

During the radio interview, Wallace was asked about the possible weapon that could replace the portable anti-tank missile launcher (AT-16). He stated that the army wants a replacement and has already begun research into the weapon. Wallace said: “We have spoken with the army, they have already started work on this, and what they would like to see is a weapon that is small enough to go into a personnel carrier or a light armoured vehicle and be able to deliver a significant amount of firepower. The army has spoken to us about their requirements, they are clear that they would like to see something that can provide a much greater punch than AT-16 can at the moment.”

Source: BBC News

Javelin

Lightweight air defence system

On the topic of lightweight air defence systems, Wallace stated that there is a lack of these systems across the UK. He said: “There is a huge issue within our armed forces in terms of the number of air defence systems we have. We actually have fewer air defence systems today than we did when we were at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What we want to see is a significant increase in air defence spending over the next few years so that we can actually make sure that our Armed Forces have the air defence systems that they need to protect our soldiers and our aircraft.”

Source: BBC News

Star Streak

Armed Forces are short of personnel, equipment and funding

As can be seen, Wallace is not afraid to express his views about why the Armed Forces are short of personnel, equipment and funding. From the lack of helicopters and tanks to the lack of air defence systems, he has highlighted the issues that the military are facing. He is calling for the government to increase defence funding and provide the necessary equipment for the army to carry out their operations. Wallace is keeping a close eye on the situation of the Armed Forces, and he has indicated that action is needed to improve their situation. His speech on BBC Radio 5 Live highlights how important it is to make sure the Armed Forces are well-funded and equipped.

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