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The British Army has fallen from more than 500,000 men in the early 1980s to less than 140,000 today.
In January this year, the head of the US Navy called on Britain to reassess the size of its armed forces to better respond to global threats.
Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said at the time that the armed forces had been “hollowed out” and “underfunded” for more than a decade.
New Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament he was fully aware of the scale of the task, particularly as wars continue and threats grow around the world.
“We know there are serious problems here too. Morale is at an all-time low, servicemen’s housing conditions are terrible and the defence procurement system has been described by the Public Accounts Committee as ‘broken’ and a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he added.
“We can’t solve all the problems at once, but we are determined to solve them.”
Those working in the defence industry, which provides around 85,000 full-time jobs, welcomed the pledge to increase spending in the sector but stressed the need for greater collaboration in uncertain times.
“A more sustainable and secure future for defense uses is critical,” said James Sizer, head of marketing at Element Materials Technology.
“Partnerships and collaborations, not just between the private and public sectors, but between countries, are only going to be on the rise.”
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