The US Army’s chief of staff said he was very concerned about falling British defense spending and that cuts had forced an urgent review of how Britain’s troops could be deployed alongside US forces in future conflicts.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper published yesterday, US Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno urged Britain to maintain defense spending at 2 percent of national output, warning that British forces could end up fighting inside US units rather than alongside them.
“I would be lying to you if I did not say that I am very concerned about the GDP investment in the UK,” Odierno was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Britain has cut defense spending by about 8 percent in real terms over the last four years to help reduce a record budget deficit, shrinking the size of the armed forces by around one-sixth.
“In the past we would have a British Army division working alongside an American division. Now it might be a British brigade inside an American division, or even a British battalion inside an American brigade,” Odierno said, in reference to previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The defense ministry could not be immediately reached for comment, but has previously said current plans showed spending would be maintained at 2 percent — the NATO agreed target for defense spending — over the current and next financial years.
In December last year, US Army Europe head Lieutenant-General Ben Hodges voiced concern that Britain’s military spending could fall below a NATO target, and said the country’s army did not have enough money for its needs.
Odierno also warned that the alliance “had to be prepared for Ukraine,” while the US and its allies needed to be primed to back Iraqi government forces later this year when they launch their much-anticipated offensive to liberate Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, which fell to the Islamic State group last year.
He said he is also worried about cuts by other European allies.
“The US is willing to participate, and in some cases lead, but we need our multinational partners to help,” he said. “As we look to the threats around the world, we need to have multinational solutions. They are of concern to everyone, and we need everybody to help, assist and invest.”
Additional reporting by staff writer
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