German Media: UK's "Complete Lack of Defense Capability" Shocking

Reference News Network reported on June 12 According to the German newspaper Welt's website on June 9, in 1982, when Argentina attacked the Falkland Islands (referred to as the Malvinas by Argentina—editor's note), the British Navy assembled a combat group of 127 ships in just one weekend and sent it to the other side of the world. Today, all 5 of the UK's Astute-class attack submarines are simultaneously docked for repairs, with none available for combat operations. This week, the UK Defense Secretary declared that the current security situation is the most dangerous since the end of the Cold War.

In recent months, Russian submarines have mapped the underwater cables around the UK. The British Navy has turned a blind eye, just as it has to all warning signals in recent years.

After the end of the Cold War, the UK systematically reduced its military— not because the world became safer, but because it was a way to save money. The British rely on Washington to protect their security.

The numbers speak for themselves. The British Navy currently has only 13 frigates and destroyers—down from 59 four decades ago. Of the 6 Type 45 destroyers currently in service, only 2 are capable of combat missions. The British Army has about 73,000 active personnel—its smallest size since the Napoleonic Wars. The number of British naval officers exceeds the number of warships, and a bloated bureaucracy has long consumed combat effectiveness.

The consequences are becoming apparent. During the recent Iran crisis, the British Navy was unable to deploy combat forces to the region—lacking both ships and supply capabilities. When the British military base in Cyprus was attacked, the French took over the defense mission.

The submarine issue is merely the most obvious manifestation of the deep-seated problems in British defense capabilities. The UK's current ammunition stockpile is estimated to be sufficient for only about 8 days of large-scale combat operations. Meanwhile, Russia is firing up to 10,000 shells a day in Ukraine and has learned to use large numbers of industrially produced drones in combat.

It is reported that during a NATO exercise in Estonia, Ukrainian drone experts easily eliminated the British forces participating in the exercise, shocking a British general. Particularly distressing is that the Vanguard-class nuclear submarines, capable of launching Trident missiles, are the cornerstone of the UK's nuclear strategy, yet all the Astute-class submarines responsible for protecting them are currently out of action.

The UK Ministry of Defense itself has issues. In recent years, it has invested billions of pounds in outdated weapon systems while systematically ignoring modern threats—cyber attacks, drone warfare, and hybrid warfare. The Ajax armored vehicle was supposed to become the main equipment of the British Army, but its development is already 8 years behind schedule, costing over £6 billion, and the vibrations and noise have caused hearing damage to soldiers training in it.

The UK's two aircraft carriers—HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales—cost over £6 billion to build and have only been in service for a few years, with maintenance costs exceeding £1 billion.

Germany has long been mocked for free-riding on defense issues, but now its total defense spending has surpassed that of the UK. U.S. President Trump once said that Germany and France are more reliable partners than the UK. This is not a provocation, but a fatal blow to the "special relationship" between the UK and the U.S. (Translated by Wang Qiang)