Recruit numbers in the UK’s armed forces fall by 30% amid warning that supporting Ukraine in Russia war makes us weaker
- Recruits enlisting in the UK’s Armed Forces has dropped by 30 per cent
- The huge fall in basic training was accompanied by a large amount leaving
- There was a 17 per cent rise in signing off in the year ending September 2022
- Army, General warned the UK was ‘weaker’ after donating equipment to Ukraine
The number of recruits enlisting in the UK’s Armed Forces has dropped by 30 per cent as Russia wages war on Europe’s doorstep.
Alarmingly, the huge fall in men and women starting basic training in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force was accompanied by a large increase in those leaving the services.
There was a 17 per cent rise in fully trained and experienced personnel signing off in the year ending September 2022 compared to the previous 12 months.
The figures, which indicate Britain’s Armed forces are shrinking at a rate, have emerged after the head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, warned the country was ‘weaker’ after donating so much equipment to Ukraine.
The number of recruits enlisting in the UK’s Armed Forces has dropped by 30 per cent as Russia wages war on Europe’s doorstep
There was a 17 per cent rise in fully trained and experienced personnel signing off in the year ending September 2022 compared to the previous 12 months
The drop in new recruits across the services from September 2021 to September 2022 was 29.8 per cent – 5,090 fewer recruits than the previous 12 months. At the same time, there was an increase of 2,400 troops signing off.
Last night the Ministry of Defence said: ‘Following an increase in recruiting during the Covid pandemic, Armed Forces recruiting numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are sufficient for Defence to meet its operational requirements.’
General Sir Patrick spoke out on Monday after the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said it would gift 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine as well as AS-90 heavy artillery pieces, rockets, drones and ammunition.
The figures, which indicate Britain’s Armed forces are shrinking at a rate, have emerged after the head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, warned the country was ‘weaker’ after donating so much equipment to Ukraine
The drop in new recruits across the services from September 2021 to September 2022 was 29.8 per cent – 5,090 fewer recruits than the previous 12 months. At the same time, there was an increase of 2,400 troops signing off
While he welcomed the equipment being put to good use to end Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine, General Sir Patrick said it could not be denied that the UK’s combat effectiveness would be compromised.
The Army is to shrink to its smallest size since the Napoleonic wars by 2025 – by which time it is expected to consist of just 73,000 regular soldiers.
The MOD is coming under increasing pressure to reconsider this commitment due to the conflict in Ukraine and the heightened security threat to the UK posed by Russia, Iran and China
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