UK not as ready as we need to be for conflict, says Army chief

"PA Media Army chief Sir Richard Knighton has said the UK is "not as ready as we need to be for the kind of full-scale conflict we might face", as he avoided questions about a reported shortfall in the government's defence spending plans. Last week, The Times and The Sun reported that the Ministry of Defence believes it will need an additional 28bn to meet its costs over the next four years, prompting a rewrite of the government's defence investment plan. The plan was due in the autumn of last year but has been delayed. Speaking to the parliamentary Defence Committee, Sir Richard said he could not provide a date for publication but added that the department was "working flat out" on it."

"Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the re-election of US President Donald Trump, the UK, along with other Nato countries, has come under pressure to boost its defence spending. Last year, Labour pledged to increase overall defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027, costing an additional 6bn a year. It has also said spending will rise to 3.5% by 2035. The defence investment plan will set out how new equipment and infrastructure will be paid for and which areas will be prioritised."

"According to reports, Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard delivered the forecast warning of a 28bn shortfall in spending plans to the prime minister and chancellor ahead of Christmas. Appearing before the committee on Monday, Sir Richard confirmed he had met Sir Keir Starmer in December and that they had talked about the defence investment plan but added that material discussed was "classified secret". "I'm not going to talk about that in public," he said. He added that despite an "unprecedented" increase in spending it was "a statement of the obvious that we can't do everything we want to do as quickly as we want to do it within the context of the budget set". "That requires ministers to make difficult trade-offs."

Sir Richard Knighton warned that the UK is not as ready as required for potential full-scale conflict and flagged funding constraints. Reports indicate the Ministry of Defence may need an additional 28bn over four years, prompting a rewrite of the delayed defence investment plan. The plan will determine how new equipment and infrastructure are paid for and which areas receive priority. Geopolitical events and allied pressures have increased calls to boost defence spending. Labour has pledged incremental rises to 2.5% by 2027 and 3.5% by 2035. Knighton confirmed a classified discussion with Sir Keir Starmer and said budget limits force difficult trade-offs.

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