British Army Halts Non-Essential Training as UK Defence Spending Pushes Toward 3%
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 3
British Army Halts Non-Essential Training as UK Defence Spending Pushes Toward 3%
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 3
Summary
Non-essential British Army training has been paused for most of this year, with units in the UK told to cut collective exercises unless they are preparing for deployment.
Budget pressure is driving the halt: the MoD is still struggling to fund plans, and much of the new defence money is already earmarked for weapons and other capital projects rather than training.
Cancelled activities include a Royal Tank Regiment live-fire exercise in Wales and another drill involving tanks and Apache helicopters, while deployment-linked training for Estonia, the Falklands and Cyprus will continue.
Drone and counter-drone training is still expected to go ahead, with the Army saying it is prioritising readiness and lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine.
The cuts land as Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces mounting demands to lift defence spending from 2.5% of GDP next year to 3% by 2030, with opposition parties pressing for firmer funding plans.