Topic: UK troop reserves 'almost gone'

Kirruth

The head of the Army has warned that British troops are so stretched that the nation's military reserves are "almost non-existent".

In the memo, leaked to the Daily Telegraph, General Sir Richard Dannatt said the Army was undermanned because of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He also said vital equipment was being used "at the edge of sustainability".
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the forces were working hard but the current situation was "manageable".
General Dannatt also said the Army has "almost no capability to react to the unexpected".
He said: "It is difficult to predict the long-term effect of this level of pressure on people. It is critical that we improve manning as quickly as we can."
There is reportedly just one battalion of 500 troops, called the Spearhead Lead Element, available to be used in an emergency, such as a major domestic terrorist attack or a rapid deployment overseas.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6909550.stm

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