British Military Unable to Reach "Readiness" Target: MoD
The MoD warned in its Spring Performance Report that the British military was unable to reach the "readiness" target set by the Government for future missions because of the the ongoing commitments of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Manpower, Public Service Agreement
Simultaneously, the MoD conceded that there was a struggle within the armed forces to meet specified levels of manpower.
Under the terms of the Public Service Agreement (PSA), the ministry is meant to be capable of providing forces able to be "deployed, sustained and recovered at the scales of effort required to meet the Government's strategic objectives."
However, said the MoD report, with the military having been operating over and above anticipated levels, this target was unattainable at present.
"[The Armed Forces] have been operating at or above the level of concurrent operations they are resourced and structured to deliver for seven of the last eight years, and for every year since 2002", the report stated.
"In such circumstances, the Armed Forces cannot simultaneously be ready for the full range of contingent operations provided for in planning assumptions."
The MoD is meant to guarantee that a minimum 73 per cent of units do not have "serious or critical weaknesses" that would impact on their "peacetime readiness". However, in 2007, on average, only 58 per cent could be considered in this way.
Armed Forces Overstretch
According to Liam Fox, Shadow Defence Secretary, the report was effectively the Government admitting that there was overstretch within the armed forces.
"The Government must stop asking our armed forces and their families to do more and more without providing them with the manpower and resources needed to get the job done", he said.
Defence spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, Nick Harvey, added: "Things cannot go on like this.
"The Government must urgently begin a strategic defence review to better align capabilities and funding."
Source - Armed Forces International's Political Correspondent
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