“This is our moment. Seize it,” the Army’s new chief, General Patrick Sanders, said yesterday at the Land Warfare Conference, the military’s annual rain check. He said he was giving his first operational order for the Army, under the title Operation Mobilise, for the forces to prepare on a war footing for what lies ahead in Ukraine, Europe and beyond. This also means adaptation for resilience and support at home.
The speech was a call to arms and one of the most clear-sighted summaries of what we need to do in defence and security for quite some time. The priorities are clear: supporting the independence of Ukraine and meeting a series of risks and threats — from the ambiguity of China in the world crisis generated from Ukraine, to what global privations of food and fuel will bring.
Britain will have to commit to help the Ukrainian forces — already 600 of the country’s officers have been trained by the UK. The aim now is to train at least 10,000 personnel in the next year.
This is only part of the story. The general was proposing a quiet revolution in the way the Army prepares, trains and fights. He was ready to ditch old practices, institutions and out of date equipment. This is more radical than may appear. A lot of sacred cows appear to be slain, including some of the more counter-productive aspects of the regimental system. The way the new flexible army will work was illustrated in an equally radical intervention by Major General Sharon Nesmith, the most senior woman in the Army and its deputy boss. She pointed to a fresh approach to recruiting, training of all ranks in different academies and conditions of service. Some 30 per cent of the Army will be reservists.
Here comes the catch — how is it going to be funded? To mobilise the forces against the Russian threat, to change tactics and training and to boost the reserves will cost. Both Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and General Sanders hinted more funds are necessary — though not a huge sum, I suggest.
Sadly, the Prime Minister said he wanted to cut back on previous pledges for a defence budget uplift. He should be asking for an immediate update of the last year’s strategy policy papers, now looking stunningly out of date. The timely and perceptive speeches of Generals Sanders and Nesmith would make a good start for a very necessary reset.
