Internal plans for Britain’s ‘New Model Army’ of Gen Z and Alpha warriors after the looming Second World War sparked fears of conscription
Britain has been urged to turn to a ‘new model army’ made up of younger soldiers, amid the looming threat of a possible Third World War.
That of Russia invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to fears of a global war but continued conflict involving Iran and the United States Middle East, China And TaiwanAnd North Korea the world holds its breath.
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Many fear the crisis in Ukraine could still develop, with officials warning it could become Ukraine’s bloodiest conflict Europe since WW2 if this leads to nuclear war.
Former defense and security chiefs have now said Britain must ‘really prepare for war’ to credibly deter threats, with reserve forces shrinking ‘well below national critical mass’.
Among those who contributed to the discussion were Lord Mark Sedwill, a former cabinet secretary and national security adviser, Lord George Robertson, a former head of NATO and Labor defense secretary, and General Lord David Richards, a former head of the armed forces.
And they say 20 years of “erosion” and reduced fighting power have created a huge problem.
The group of experts has called for a ‘new model army’ that would transform the British Army into a respected land force that prioritizes preparation for high-intensity war fighting.
An article published by the New Bletchley Network states: “To be credible in terms of deterrence we must sincerely prepare for war and communicate this to potential enemies, NATO and allies, and especially to the British public.”
The group said deterrence was based on credibility, adding: “The credibility of the British military has been weakened by more than two decades of erosion and reduced fighting power. The morale of the army is fragile.”
The short document highlighted a “serious wake-up signal” from a senior figure in NATO, who warned that the British military is no longer a top-tier or “Tier 1” force.
A massive recruitment drive targeting those from the younger generations could be one way to replenish the armed forces.
The report also called for a total reset of the way the armed forces procure weapons and their supply chains to ensure better value for money.
It urged a new command structure in Whitehall to be “war-ready” and recommended the creation of a taskforce – like the one that delivered the COVID-19 vaccine – to drive change.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, previously claimed that British can even get a call if Britain goes to war with Russia.
Sir Patrick did not indicate what the mobilization in Britain would look like, but demanded more military funding.
And he said the army must grow from 75,000 to 120,000 in three years, but admits that even that is “not enough”.
General Sir Patrick’s appeal to the British
Our friends in Eastern and Northern Europe, who feel the proximity of the Russian threat more acutely, are already acting cautiously and laying the foundation for national mobilization.
As the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee warned last week, and as the Swedish government has done, preparing Sweden for NATO accession is now not only desirable, but essential. .
We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must prepare similarly – and that is a nation-wide undertaking. Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.
But we’ve been here before, and staff alone doesn’t create capacity.
Over the past thirty years the army has halved in size; in the last twelve years we have absorbed a reduction of 28 percent.
Our predecessors failed to recognize the implications of the so-called July crisis of 1914 and ended up in the most horrific wars. We cannot afford to make the same mistake today.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned that Britain was in a ‘pre-war world’.
The latest report, published on Wednesday, focused on the British military and warned that “deterrence is based on credibility”.
“The credibility of the British military has been weakened by more than two decades of erosion and reduced fighting power. The morale of the army is fragile,” it added.
The brief document highlighted a “serious wake-up signal” from a senior figure in NATO, who warned that the British military is no longer a top-level or “Tier 1” force.
General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of the Joint Forces Command, and Major General Rupert Jones, signed the document.
General Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, the former Chief of the Defense Staff, General Sir Richard Shirreff, the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, and Brigadier General Nigel Hall, the former Deputy British Military Representative to NATO, also added their support.
Army insiders fear Sanders could be proven right, with one source saying: ‘Former chiefs have a reputation for speaking up when they’re done, and Sanders hasn’t been that guy.
‘Sanders is a man who has actually tried to prepare us for war. And that is probably why he will be remembered in history.”
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If conscription were introduced, it would be the first time in more than sixty years that Britons would have to fight.
Compulsory military service was introduced during World War I after the government passed the Military Service Act in 1916.
It comes as the prospects of World War 3 continue to grow with ongoing conflicts around the world.
The Middle East has become a powder keg causing unrest Israel’s ongoing war in return for Hamasbacked by Iran Houthi rebels attack in the Red Seaand recently clashes and strikes between Iran and Pakistan.
In recent months, NATO announced its biggest appeal in decades when 90,000 troops began World War III exercises.
When was the last time Britain had conscription?
- On the day Britain declared war on Germany, September 3, 1939, Parliament immediately passed a new conscription law.
- The National Service (Armed Forces) Act imposed conscription on all men between the ages of 18 and 41 who had to register for service.
- Those who were medically unfit were exempt, as were others in key industries and jobs such as baking, agriculture, medicine and engineering.
- Conscription contributed greatly to the increase in the number of men on active duty during the first year of World War II.
- After the end of the Second World War, a new National Service Act was passed requiring all young men aged 17 to 21 to serve in the armed forces for 18 months.
- They should also remain on the reserve list for a number of years.
- National Service then continued until the last soldiers were demobilized in 1963.
- Conscientious objectors could refuse, but would face a tribunal where they would be expected to justify their opposition to entry.
That number includes 20,000 British troops, as the alliance plans to test allies on their ability to engage in conflict with an opponent as capable as Russia.
People fear that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine Russian forces could cross Ukrainian borders to launch attacks on Europe, forcing NATO to join the war.
More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and 20,000 injured since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN said.
NATO is mobilizing some 90,000 troops for war games aimed at sending Russia the message that it should not consider attacking member states.
Steadfast Defender runs at the end of May and includes units from all 31 NATO member states plus candidate countries Sweden.
Previously, a leaked military report revealed what could be Vladimir Putin‘S step-by-step plan to bring the West to the brink of World War III.
The secret documents detail the despot’s possible “path to conflict,” which culminates in the summer of 2025 on ‘Day X’, when half a million NATO and Russian soldiers will face each other.
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