The head of the British army thinks a war might be on the horizon

His first speech as head of the British army

Countries sharing weapons and technology

A threatening geopolitical landscape

In the face of many separate threats coming from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, Britain is preparing it’s army to be able to fight a possible war, the head of the army said over the summer.

His first speech as head of the British army

General Sir Roland Walker, who assumed the role in June, used his first speech as head of the army to warn against the “range of threats” the UK is facing, the BBC reported.

Prepare to fight a war in 2027

General Walker (pictured) said the army must be prepared to fight a war in 2027 by doubling the army’s fighting power and tripling it by the end of the decade.

Key threats for the UK

Among the key threats facing the UK in the coming years, highlighted by the general, is an angered Russia, which could seek retribution against the West for supporting Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.

Russia’s revenge

“It doesn’t matter how it ends. I think Russia will emerge from it probably weaker objectively, but still very, very dangerous and wanting some form of retribution for what we have done to help Ukraine."

China and Iran

In what he called an “increasingly volatile” world, the General also pointed to the possibility of China invading Taiwan and Iran perusing nuclear weapons.

Countries sharing weapons and technology

He said the threats they posed could become particularly acute within the next three years, and that since the war in Ukraine, these countries had created a "mutual transactional relationship", sharing weapons and technology.

Call on UK Army to “modernize quickly”

Because of this, he urged the British Army to “modernize quickly”, including focusing on technology like Artificial Intelligence and firepower, rather than numbers.

A need for troops

Although the general didn’t mention the need for troops in his speech, the number of army members and recruitment has been falling in recent years, Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures show.

“Neglected morale cannot continue”

A week earlier, Defence Secretary John Healey described the current state of the armed forces as "hollowed-out" and said "procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue", the BBC reported.

Towards avoiding war

But is the path to war inevitable? According to General Walker, war is not inevitable as long as the UK re-establishes its strategy of deterrence to avoid it.

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