Top UK general says ‘citizen army’ should be prepared to fight in potential land war
- Chief of the General Staff Patrick Sanders says such a conflict would be a ‘whole-of-nation undertaking’ and the public should be trained and equipped
- Following his comments, the UK government said it has no plans to introduce conscription and that the British army would remain a voluntary force
British citizens should be prepared to fight in a potential land war, the highest ranking army officer General Patrick Sanders said on Wednesday.
The chief of the general staff said any conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking” and that citizens should be trained and equipped to be in a state of readiness.
The general’s remarks come after the UK defence ministry said last year that it would cut overall numbers in the UK’s professional army from 82,000 to 73,000 by 2025.
Following Sanders’ comments, the UK government said on Wednesday that it has no plans to introduce conscription.
Sanders, who was speaking at an armoured vehicles conference in southwest London, said: “Taking preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing when needed are now not merely desirable but essential.