British Army Suspends Large-Scale Training Exercises to Cut Costs
The British Army has received orders to suspend large-scale military exercises in a bid to cut costs, a move that defense officials have warned could portray Britain as “weak” in the eyes of its adversaries, amid growing pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to increase defense spending.
The British newspaper The Times quoted a senior military source as saying that major war exercises involving 90 or more soldiers were suspended as part of a plan to save approximately £30 million.
According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, forces were informed to halt activities with immediate effect, after unit commanders received directives to stop “collective training,” unless their units were preparing for deployment on a military mission.
The canceled exercises include maneuvers involving Challenger 2 tanks and Apache helicopters, as the Army reorders its priorities away from large-scale armored training, focusing more on training troops for drone warfare and smaller-scale operations.
The Royal Tank Regiment was scheduled to spend six weeks conducting live-fire exercises in Wales, but the drills were canceled just days before their planned start.
A reserve force exercise linked to these maneuvers was also canceled at the last minute.
According to military sources, only forces preparing for deployment, those on standby, or those tasked with rapid response missions will continue their training as normal.
Defense officials warned regiment commanders against widely disseminating orders to halt exercises, fearing that the move might signal to Britain’s adversaries that its defenses are retreating or that it is not seriously preparing for any potential war.
The source said officers were instructed to “keep the matter as narrow as possible and communicate about it with extreme caution,” as it could create the impression that Britain does not take war preparations seriously.
This is not the first time military maneuvers have been scaled back to save money, but defense sector sources believe the current cuts are “more dangerous.”
The Times noted that the closest precedent for this step dates back to the 1973 fuel crisis, when the armed forces were ordered to reduce their gasoline consumption by 10 percent.
