Defence Secretary Says British Military Capabilities Are "Just Not Good Enough"
John Healey addresses the Defence Select Committee for the first time as Secretary of State (Alamy)
2 min read
John Healey said the UK’s military capabilities are “just not good enough” in his first appearance before the defence committee since becoming the Secretary of State for Defence.
Speaking to MPs on Thursday morning, Healey said the UK needed to be "setting the pace" in international defence rather than just contributing to it.
Healey appeared before the defence committee amid questions over whether the Government would confirm it had given Ukraine the green light to use storm shadow missiles in Russia. On Wednesday, it was reported by Ukrainian and British media that warheads of these missiles had been found in Russian territory.
Ukraine had been restricted to using missiles imported from Western nations within its borders until US President Joe Biden permitted Kyiv to fire American missiles into Russia.
Healey, however, refused to discuss "operational details" of the UK's support of Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Healy was asked why his department had announced £500m worth of cuts to areas including frigates, drones and helicopters. Healey said it was time for the Government to "get a grip" on Ministry of Defence budgets and make sensible financial decisions which he argued were not made by the previous Tory government.
"We can make the decisions that are long overdue. To decommission outdated equipment, because our forces deserve better, equipment to do their job better," he told MPs.
Healey said the "rapidly changing nature of warfare" as evidenced by Russia's attack on Ukraine shows that in "large part" UK capabilities "are just not good enough for the future".
"When we work with allies, we have to make sure that our UK contribution isn't just a major contribution to the collective deterrence and strength of our alliances, but is also part of the leading edge that sees us setting the pace of some of the necessary transformations," he said.
The weapons systems which will are set to be scrapped include the Royal Navy's two amphibious assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark plus a fleet of 46 Watchkeeper drones, 17 Royal Royal Air Force Puma helicopters, HMS Northumberland, and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships.
Healey said "everyone" wanted to see the UK increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, as Labour pledged to do in its General Election manifesto.
The Defence Secretary stressed, however, that the pathway to hit his target would not be set out until the strategic defence review, which is expected to be published in Spring 2025.
"These are serious times," the Cabinet minister told the committee.
[There is] war in Europe, conflict in the Middle East, rising global threats, which is precisely the reason why we must increase the defence spending to 2.5 per cent.
"Everyone agrees with that in order to deal with the threats we face and the transformation that we require in our armed forces," he said.
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