Ben Wallace: Ukraine has 'tragically become a battle lab' for war technology

Ukraine has "tragically go a conflict lab", but lessons learned volition pass the aboriginal of Britain's equipped forces, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

His comments came earlier the merchandise of a revised Defence Command Paper, archetypal published earlier the warfare began.

Mr Wallace said that the effectiveness of weapons fixed to Kyiv by its allies had heavy influenced the revisions.

"We would beryllium precise foolish to disregard these lessons and not import them into our ain equipped forces," helium said.

The revision of the paper, originally published successful 2021, volition acceptable retired however the UK volition put an further £2.5bn of defence spending.

"The warfare successful Ukraine has focused minds due to the fact that determination is simply a precise existent adversary being precise aggressive, breaking each the rules of warfare connected the continent of Europe, warring a warfare designed to destruct a country," Mr Wallace said.

"That makes america realise we had amended alteration the hazard appetite we had erstwhile we did this insubstantial originally.

"Originally we were taking things retired of service, having a spot of a spread successful the mediate of the decade, and past we'd person the caller equipment. That's thing I don't privation to hazard immoderate more."

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the papers highlighted cardinal objectives for the UK's equipped forces, including "prioritising concern successful replenishment, modernising our forces and embodying a afloat integrated attack to deterrence and defence".

"New technologies are not gimmicks, they're fundamentally cardinal to however we combat a modern war," Mr Wallace said.

He added that analysing the strategies playing retired successful Ukraine would assistance "make definite that we tin beryllium lucifer acceptable for immoderate aboriginal conflict".

One specified acquisition is the "power of physics warfare", Mr Wallace said, explaining: "The usage of [electronic] warfare either to enactment arsenic a decoy oregon to enactment arsenic a defence is becoming truly important, truthful it goes up the precedence list."

He said that the warfare successful Ukraine had besides concentrated minds connected the usage of "deep fire" artillery, and had informed the determination to discontinue aged 155mm guns and bring successful caller replacements.

"We person seen a generational displacement successful ranges of 'deep fire' artillery," helium said. "The 155mm weapon astir had a 22-25km scope for astir 50 years.

"The caller procreation ... you're getting ranges of 60km successful future. So I person taken a determination to signifier retired the aged 155mm [for] the Swedish Archer 1."

Artillery has played a important relation for some sides successful Ukraine. Britain's equipped forces, however, person scaled down their artillery forces since the extremity of the Cold War.

Mr Wallace said: "At the extremity of the Second World War, 35% of the service was artillery. Now, it's astir 8%. Deep occurrence is thing we request to rebalance. These are the lessons."

The erstwhile worker played a cardinal role successful the UK's effect to the Russian penetration of Ukraine.

His Wyre and Preston North constituency successful Lancashire volition vanish astatine the adjacent wide predetermination due to the fact that of bound changes and helium has said helium volition not question a caller seat.

Speaking astir the people helium hoped to permission connected the MoD, Mr Wallace told the BBC that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had fixed his section a "massive £24bn legacy".

"I've travel in, and we've had a existent word emergence successful our defence spending," helium said.

He besides warned that the struggle successful Ukraine served arsenic a reminder that "there are atrocious radical retired determination wanting to bash atrocious things to Britain and her allies".

Mr Wallace is believed to person told Mr Sunak past period of his plans to basal down from the cabinet.

Sources person told the BBC they expect the adjacent reshuffle successful September, but nary day has been confirmed.