Reversing hollowed out armed forces will take years, says defence chief
The UK's most senior military leader warns it will take years to undo the hollowing out of the armed forces, citing Russia's growing threat.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The UK's most senior military leader has said that reversing the hollowing out of the armed forces will take years, despite a government commitment to increase defence spending. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the Chief of Defence Staff, made the comments during an interview for the This Is Why podcast, where he also described the current period as the most dangerous of his 35-year career.
Knighton pointed to Russia's military build-up and its willingness to use proxies for sabotage and even assassinations on British soil. He said Russia is now more powerful militarily than it has been for a long time and has openly called for NATO to be broken down. He argued the threat is getting more dangerous, which is why calls for increased defence spending and capability are so important.
He also confirmed that reports of cancelled non-essential army training to save around £30 million were accurate. He explained that plans had been set at the start of the year before the budget was known, and were then adjusted to fit within it. However, he stressed that the strategic defence review had been clear that the armed forces had been hollowed out over a number of years, and reversing that requires continued investment.
The interview comes as the government faces pressure to clarify its defence spending plans and address concerns about the state of the military. Knighton's remarks underline the scale of the challenge facing the armed forces as they try to rebuild capacity while managing financial constraints.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| The Chief of Defence Staff described the current period as the most dangerous in his 35-year military career. | |
| The Chief of Defence Staff said Russia is currently more powerful militarily than it has been for a long time. | |
| The Chief of Defence Staff said the armed forces had been hollowed out over many years and reversing that would take time. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News secured an exclusive interview with the Chief of Defence Staff and focused on his stark warning about the Russian threat and the scale of the defence challenge. It also highlighted the confirmation of cancelled army training as a sign of budget pressure. The tone was urgent and authoritative, giving the CDS space to explain his reasoning in detail.
- “I'm on record as saying this is the most most dangerous period I've known in my my working life in 35 years that I've been in uniform”
- “Russia is more powerful militarily now than it has been for a long time”
- “we ought to be honest that if you look at the strategic defence review it was very clear that the armed forces were as it described hollow and they've been hollowed out over a number of years”
Broadcast Timeline
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