A year after Brexit, why is the British army the biggest beneficiary
The British army is strengthening its air fleet with dozens of American "F-35" aircraft, in addition to the entry into service of the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth", which is the largest and most advanced British aircraft carrier, and the first to cross the Suez Canal since the tripartite aggression against Egypt year 1956.
The British Army is undergoing a state of radical change in its defense policies and orientations, as well as in the renewal of its military arsenal, and the unprecedented increase in the defense budget. Immediately after Brexit, Boris Johnson's government announced a plan called a "comprehensive review" of defense and foreign policy for 2030.
A year after Brexit, the British army appeared to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the country's new situation, with an unprecedentedly high budget that made the United Kingdom the most European spending on armaments.
Who are the enemies?
The 100-page "comprehensive review" of the defense policy identifies the most serious threats facing the UK after Brexit, led by China and Russia.
The document promises that the British army will make greater moves to confront the challenge that China poses to the country and the West in general, by heading towards the Indian Ocean and being more present in it.
As for Russia, it has become in British defense policy the "most immediate danger" to the country's security. Perhaps this explains the statements of British military leaders about the imminence of a confrontation with Russia.
As for the rest of the threats, they are terrorist attacks and electronic wars, which the report warns that they need larger budgets to keep pace with global development, especially since Britain faces 60 complex cyber attacks every day targeting government interests and sensitive sites.
Big budget
Johnson's government lavished the hand on the military right after Brexit, by announcing an estimated $23 billion increase in the defense budget by 2025, the highest increase in military spending in the country's history.
Britain is now the European country that spends the most on the army, after years of reducing the defense budget; Between 2010 and 2017, the defense budget fell by more than $7.5 billion.
Since 2017, this budget has started to rise at an average of $3.5 billion, but the increase approved by the government after Brexit is the largest, and will make the annual defense budget about $53 billion annually.
Nuclear deterrent
After leaving the European Union, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wanted to confirm that his country had regained its political and military decision; He announced that it had given up its commitment to reduce the number of its nuclear warheads, and that it would even increase it.
Britain has 195 nuclear warheads ready to be launched and distributed to different regions of the world by sea and land, and the previous plan was to reduce the number to 180 nuclear warheads, but leaving the EU changed the rules of the game.
The British government plans to raise the number of its nuclear warheads ready for launch to 260, but the Ministry of Defense announced that it would not announce more details about its nuclear arsenal, "leaving it to the discretion of the enemies."
less soldiers
Among the most unusual steps announced by the British Ministry of Defense is to reduce the number of soldiers in its ranks, a move that was widely criticized under the justification that the strength of the army lies in the number of soldiers it has.
The number of British soldiers will be reduced by more than 10,000 by 2025, from 82,000 soldiers to 72,000 over the next four years, the lowest number of British soldiers since 1714.
The Ministry of Defense justifies this decision by directing its attention to robotic soldiers and drones, rather than sending soldiers on the ground. On the other hand, the Guardian newspaper says that the ministry is finding it difficult to employ soldiers, after the decline in the demand for the army and the high rate of resignations in it.
Robot soldier
Indeed, the British army revealed its plan for the mechanized soldier, who is supposed to make up a third of the British army by 2030.
According to the available information, this soldier will carry two machine guns, remote control devices, and accurate and highly sensitive monitoring devices that are still being tested, and he will be at the forefront of the ranks in cases of storming buildings, as well as in guerrilla warfare, which is the most dangerous war for any army.
New weapons
The British army is currently getting rid of many of its old military pieces, as 90 tanks, 24 old Typhoon aircraft, and two naval frigates have been taken out of service.
On the other hand, the British army is strengthening its air fleet with dozens of American "F-35" aircraft, in addition to the entry of the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" into service, which is the largest and most advanced British aircraft carrier, and the first to cross the Suez Canal since the aggression The Trio over Egypt in 1956.
Beyond the Middle East
The British Army is currently making two main moves showing the areas of interest, the first of which is the Black Sea, to counter the growing Russian influence there, which led to a minor skirmish between the Royal Navy and the Russian Navy.
As for the second move, it came in the tripartite security agreement between America, Australia and the United Kingdom, which stipulates moving American and British nuclear submarines in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, to counter Chinese influence, which means that the British military weight will shift towards the Far East instead of the Middle East.