Britain’s armed forces are no longer capable of being “a full partner” with the United States military because of cutbacks, America’s former defence chief said today.
In an outspoken warning that cutbacks are undermining Britain’s global role, Robert Gates said cuts in the forces and the lack of a working aircraft carrier meant America could not “count” on its ally in the same way.
“With the fairly substantial reductions in defence spending in Great Britain what we are finding is they won’t have full spectrum capabilities and the ability to be a full partner as they have been in the past,” he said.
Tory MPs immediately called on the Government to stop cutting the military budget following the remarks by Mr Gates, who served as defence secretary under presidents Barack Obama and George Bush.
Tory MP John Baron said the Government was trying to get defence “on the cheap”, adding: “We are taking undue risks with both our security and wider strategic interests.”
Former defence minister Peter Luff said it was a “salutary warning” that there was no more room for savings without hobbling the Forces. “We have cut defence to the bone. Without a significant reassessment of our role in the world, we cannot cut any further,” he said.
Last month General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Britain was in danger of being left with “exquisite” equipment but too few soldiers, sailors and airmen.
Labour’s defence spokesman Vernon Coaker said Mr Gates’s intervention showed that confidence in Britain’s defence commitment was being damaged.
“It should worry David Cameron that Britain’s strongest ally has concerns about his Government’s mishandling of defence,” he said. Britain is without an operational aircraft carrier until the new Queen Elizabeth enters service in 2020. Mr Gates said this was the kind of decision that had reduced the UK’s ability to support the US.
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He lamented: “I would a lot rather, in a port in the Middle East, to have a British-flagged ship and an American-flagged warship than just an American-flagged warship by itself.”
The MoD said in a statement: “We still have the fourth largest defence budget in the world.”
