The British armed forces are prepared to engage Russian troops “tonight” if Vladimir Putin invades another Eastern European nation, a senior U.K. military official said on Thursday.
“If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight,” said Rob Magowan, deputy chief of the British defense staff, during a session with the House of Commons defense committee. “No one should be under any illusion that if Russia invaded Eastern Europe tonight, we would confront them in that fight.”
Magowan’s comments were made in response to MPs questioning how many British brigades could be mobilized to NATO’s eastern flank in the event of a significant escalation by Russia. Eastern European NATO members, including Latvia and Estonia, have expressed growing concerns about Russia’s intentions following its invasion of Ukraine. Finland, sharing an extensive border with Russia, recently warned of sabotage targeting critical infrastructure. NATO’s collective defense policy treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
However, concerns persist about the U.K.’s readiness for a major conflict. The British Army is currently at its smallest size since the 1700s. Defense Secretary John Healey recently described the state of the armed forces as “far worse than we thought” upon Labour’s entry into government earlier this year.
As part of a cost-cutting initiative, Healey announced plans to retire five warships and a dozen military helicopters and drones, coinciding with an ongoing Strategic Defense Review.
Addressing MPs, Magowan acknowledged the army’s “operational risks and operational strengths” and emphasized the need for “more lethality” within the armed forces.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday the successful completion of a live-fire test of the Archer Mobile Howitzer, a rapid-deployment artillery system. The test was conducted during NATO training exercises in Finland, underscoring the alliance’s preparedness in the region.
