Media: Over 10,000 soldiers unfit for combat in UK

More than 10,000 active-duty sailors, soldiers, and aviators are unable to go to war due to being deemed medically unfit, a recent revelation shows.

Additionally, nearly 15,000 troops can only be deployed under specific conditions, such as when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and when they are not exposed to excessive noise, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Overall, one in five personnel in the regular armed forces cannot be relied upon for combat, according to figures released by Al Carns, the veterans minister, following questions raised by the Conservative Party. Almost a quarter of soldiers and officers in the regular army are unable to engage in combat without limitations, and nearly 3,000 sailors are considered unfit to go to sea under any circumstances.

For the army, 16,335 soldiers are either “medically not deployable” or “medically limited deployable,” out of a total of 71,340 personnel, representing 23 percent of the total force. Only 55,005 soldiers are considered fully deployable, meaning they can serve without medical restrictions. Mark Francois, the shadow armed forces minister, expressed concern, calling the figures “deeply worrying, especially within the army.” 

He stated: “Not only has the army now dwindled to just over 71,000 soldiers, nearly 2,000 below its established strength, but almost a quarter of those are not medically fully deployable. This requires urgent action, not just in terms of recruitment and retention but also in remedial action, particularly physiotherapy, to ensure our remaining soldiers are truly fighting fit.”

Francis Tusa, a defence analyst and editor of the Defence Analysis newsletter, commented: “This highlights, once again, that some of the key problems facing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the services are not necessarily related to equipment or ammunition — they are, more broadly, personnel issues. The MoD and services need to determine what is causing these medical issues and take action. If more physiotherapists are needed, then they should be hired, even at a premium.” John Healey, the defence secretary, has already warned that the size of the army is expected to fall even further next year, dropping below 70,000. 

Carns remarked earlier this month that the entire army could be wiped out or severely wounded within six months to a year of war with an adversary like Russia, a statement that reportedly angered No 10. With an army of 55,000 regular troops, based on Russian casualty rates of around 1,500 a day in Ukraine, the army would be decimated in just over a month. 

American military leaders have previously expressed concerns about the size of the British Army and its dependence on the US for support assets. In the case of the Royal Navy, the figures show that 2,922 sailors are unable to go to sea at all, while 2,363 are considered medically limited deployable, meaning they may be allowed to serve at sea under specific conditions.

By Naila Huseynova