Ben Wallace has insisted Britain is not hiding behind her allies (Image: GETTY)
The Defence Secretary said the Ministry of Defence has focused on delivering “more lethal” tanks and warships “that can actually do something”.
Mr Wallace questioned critics how they would arm more troops and provide them with state-of-the-art equipment, adding one of the key lessons from Ukraine’s war with Russia is “you better be enabled”.
He claimed restoring troop numbers to 82,000 would cost an extra £5bn.
Defending cutting troop numbers to just 73,000 – down from 82,000 – Mr Wallace said: “I am not prepared to cut the Armed Forces by about £5bn to put on a postcard ‘I’m going to go back to 82,000.’
“You’ve got to equip those soldiers with accommodation, barracks, night sight, helmets, guns, whatever equipment you are going to give them.
“If it is going to be a battlegroup, are you going to buy 300 armoured vehicles? Or am I just going to give them a pitchfork?
“That’s the choice.
“The lesson of Ukraine is you better be perfectly formed, you better be 360. And you better be enabled. And I’m not prepared to sacrifice that just to satisfy a Top Trump card.”
The army is on course to have 73,000 troops (Image: GETTY)
Asked if a smaller military would be his legacy as he prepares to step down as Defence Secretary, Mr Wallace said: “Our legacy is a more modernised Armed Forces.
“A whole programme of modernisation, more lethal tanks that can actually do something, ships that can actually get out of port.
“There is no point having bubble-wrapped ships lined up, no point having tanks in warehouses that don’t work.
“You’ll have a more lethal, enabled and globally deployed force.”
Poland has announced plans to spend four percent of its GDP on defence, to take it to around 300,000 troops.
But the size of the British Army will fall to 73,000, with some critics warning Britain cannot currently field a war-fighting division.
The number of Challenger 2 tanks set to be upgraded to Challenger 3, with a new, more deadly turret, better sighting systems and enhanced armour is also set to fall to 148. This means 79 tanks will be removed from service despite critics condemning the move while a war wages on in Europe.
The head of the British Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, even took a thinly veiled swipe at the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, during a speech several weeks ago, declaring it was wrong to “hide behind the armies of other NATO contributors.”
79 tanks will be removed from service (Image: GETTY)
Mr Wallace firmly rebuked claims Britain will be hiding behind its NATO allies, declaring: “We haven’t hid behind anyone else. But we’ve been part of alliances since the First World War.
“Can you tell me the last time we could unilaterally mount large scale conflict as the British forces?
“We haven’t been able to mount a large scale conflict for hundreds of years. That’s why we are in NATO.”
Asked why some European countries are bolstering their armed forces with more troops as global security deteriorates but Britain is not, Mr Wallace said: “I’m not going to critique their Armed Forces. But my main point is I need to get our Armed Forces match fit.
“So, should the time come to expand our Armed Forces, the core skeleton and capabilities and digital network of our Armed Forces is match fit to to expand, should we wish to do it, but what I’m not going to do is put the cart before the horse.”
Mr Wallace has announced he will stand down as Defence Secretary in the next reshuffle.
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But as he prepares to return to the backbenches after four years in the role, Mr Wallace insisted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must stick to his pledge of increasing defence spending to 2.5 percent.
He said: “It is important that everyone sticks to the pledges they’ve made. But whatever happens, whatever the growth of the defence budget will be, it will be based on an Armed Forces that is match fit and able to absorb the money to modernise properly.
“The Prime Minister, the Chancellor, they are in charge of the 2.5 percent. They have a wider duty to make an assessment of the economic conditions.
“In the mean time, I will get on and show I’m spending the real time increase in my defence budget over the past four years.”
The Defence Command Paper, set to be published today will commit an additional £2.5bn to replenishing Britain’s ammunition supplies, as well as encouraging British Armed Forces to harness the latest technology and create more flexible working conditions for troops.
Highlighting the changing approach to technology, the Daily Express yesterday heard how British scientists had discovered Brimstone missiles typically launched from fighter jets could be reconstituted to be fired from a missile launcher fixed onto the back of a truck.
Ukrainian troops then used this tactic in the Donbas region during their fightback last Summer.
The Defence Command Paper will also forge closer links between the Ministry of Defence and the defence industry to ensure more ammunition is being produced.
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