A senior US general has privately told defence secretary Ben Wallace that the British army is no longer regarded as a top-level “tier one” fighting force following decades of cuts. It comes after comments from the chair of the defence select committee about the UK defence capability being “hollowed out” and warnings last week by a whole battalion of former defence chiefs about the parlous condition of the forces and the UK military-industrial base. Lord Stirrup, Lord West, Lord Peach and Lord Houghton all spoke up.
Is the American general correct?
British defence sources say so. “Bottom line… it’s an entire service unable to protect the UK and our allies for a decade.
