Britain risks falling behind France as Nato’s foremost military power in Europe according to a think tank study, reports The Times.
France has more combat aircraft, more frigates and more troops than Britain despite spending significantly less on defence, according to the military balance, an annual comparison of the strengths of armed forces around the world by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Amid an increasingly fractious row in Whitehall over defence spending, a senior IISS researcher warned that “the jury’s out” on whether Britain still maintained the most capable military in Europe.
President Macron has unveiled a multi-year plan to boost defence spending by a third to protect France from the increased threat of Russian aggression. Rishi Sunak is reluctant to sanction a similar increase in British defence spending. The Treasury has pointed to the Ministry of Defence’s recent history of wasteful procurement as it resists pressure to spend more on the armed forces.
Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, has promised to increase defence spending once the government publishes its integrated review of foreign policy next month. However, in its annual assessment of the world’s militaries, the IISS said it was likely there would be a real-terms cut in British defence spending due to high inflation.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said he faced an “uphill battle” to secure between £8 billion and £11 billion in the budget despite the world becoming “much more dangerous and unstable”.
“Between now and the budget I’ve got lots of time and meetings with the chancellor to make sure we try to come to a deal on it,” he told Sky News.