MOD stress-testing how UK would cope in war

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is war-gaming a large struggle to "stress-test" supplies of ammunition and instrumentality successful a warfare clip scenario.

The MOD says it is the archetypal wargames to impact representatives of the defence manufacture – alongside subject commanders and officials.

The week-long workout began connected Monday greeting and is taking spot astatine the Defence Academy successful Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.

The Defence Secretary John Healey said the crushed for the workout was to guarantee authorities and manufacture "are susceptible of innovation astatine wartime speed".

Healey told the BBC the war-gaming would enactment done "a scope of scenarios successful which we whitethorn beryllium faced by conflict, we whitethorn beryllium faced with protracted warring and we whitethorn beryllium faced with terrible disruption successful the proviso chains".

The wargaming coincides with the motorboat of the government’s defence concern strategy.

The defence caput says the strategy volition assistance make a much innovative and resilient proviso chain, and boost British industry.

Speaking to the London Defence Conference, Healey said his connection was to "invest successful defence and nonstop a beardown awesome to Putin" and nationalist information was the instauration for growth.

Russia's warfare successful Ukraine has highlighted glaring gaps successful Europe's quality to prolong a agelong conflict, with manufacture initially dilatory to respond.

In 2021 the erstwhile caput of the US Army successful Europe, Lt Gen Ben Hodges, told MPs the British Army rapidly ran retired of ammunition successful a war-gaming exercise.

He said the full British Army's inventory was exhausted with each spot of important ammunition expended earlier the 10-day workout was completed.

Officials accidental that earlier Russia's afloat standard penetration of Ukraine, each Nato allies combined were lone capable to nutrient tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells a year.

The 32 members are present capable to manufacture 2 cardinal rounds a year. That is simply a melodramatic increase, but inactive abbreviated of Russian accumulation levels – an estimated 3 cardinal artillery shells a year.

The MOD's war-gaming this week volition absorption connected the proviso chains for artillery munitions and uncrewed systems – besides known arsenic drones.

They are the precise aforesaid stocks being expended successful their thousands each week successful Ukraine.

An MOD authoritative said the war-gaming would play retired "real-time, war-time scenarios" and spot realistic stresses connected proviso chains.

The intent of the workout is to recognize vulnerabilities successful the proviso concatenation and to pass aboriginal concern decisions.

Defence companies taking portion successful the workout see BAE Systems, MBDA, Lockheed Martin and Babcock.

The government's defence concern strategy is owed to beryllium published successful the spring. It volition signifier portion of a wider defence reappraisal presently underway.

The authorities has promised to summation defence spending. It says it volition acceptable retired a way to reaching a people of spending 2.5% of GDP connected defence adjacent year.