Army Training and Operations May Be Scaled Back Without Budget Increase, UK Defence Chief Warns

LONDON: The United Kingdom’s top military officer has warned that the armed forces may be forced to reduce training and operational activities unless defence funding is increased.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that current budget levels are placing increasing pressure on military readiness, particularly in day-to-day operational spending that supports exercises and training.

Knighton stressed that this funding is essential to maintaining the preparedness of service personnel. “Those are the things that make sure the men and women of our armed forces are as ready as they can be with the equipment that they have got today, and without changes to the settlement… those areas will come under pressure,” he said.

He further warned that the military would have to scale back its activities if additional resources are not allocated. “We will have to dial back our activities and our exercise and operational activity if the level of resource funding that’s available to us does not increase. Now that’s still to be debated and decided,” he added.

His remarks come amid ongoing political debate over defence spending. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, responding to concerns about the defence investment plan, said the government had already increased military spending from 2.3% to 2.6% of GDP and indicated further investment would follow under the proposed plan.

However, critics—including some former ministers who recently resigned—have argued that the planned increase to around 2.68% would still fall short of requirements.

Knighton also highlighted rising operational costs driven by inflation, noting an 88% increase in aviation fuel prices over the past year. He warned that these pressures are already affecting military budgets.

“It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that there’s going to be no impact as a consequence of the settlement,” he said.

The warning underscores growing tensions over how to balance fiscal constraints with defence readiness amid rising global security challenges.