UK to save $630 million over five years with sweeping military reductions

The United Kingdom, a key ally of the United States, is significantly reducing its defence forces through major cuts.

Last week, the British Ministry of Defence revealed plans for extensive reductions, including the removal of dozens of helicopters and four major surface warships from service, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

These cuts have raised concerns about the UK's military capabilities, particularly regarding its ability to play a leading role in Europe's defence if a conflict with Russia were to occur.

While some of the reductions are seen as necessary for modernizing the armed forces, the decision to cut two Royal Navy amphibious landing ships is troubling. These ships are critical for the UK's amphibious warfare capacity, and their removal is expected to have a significant impact.

“Today, with full backing from our Service Chiefs, I can confirm that six outdated military capabilities will be taken out of service,” said British Defence Secretary John Healey in a statement.

The UK Ministry of Defence estimates that these cuts will save up to $190 million over the next two years and $630 million over the next five years. The savings are intended to help maintain the overall defence budget, with funds being redirected to other areas.

“In this Statement, I have laid a WMS to outline the details of my decommissioning decisions. These include HMS Northumberland, a frigate with structural damage that makes her uneconomical to repair; 46 Watchkeeper Mk1s, a fourteen-year-old Army drone that has been surpassed by modern technology; and HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, landing ships that were effectively retired by previous Ministers but superficially retained at a cost of nine million pounds a year,” Healey explained.

In addition to the naval cuts, the UK Ministry of Defence is also reducing aviation assets, particularly helicopters. The cuts include "Fourteen Chinooks, some over thirty-five years old, being accelerated out of service; two Wave Class tankers, neither of which have been in service for years; and seventeen Puma helicopters, some with over fifty years of flying experience, which will not be extended," Healey added.

For 2025, the UK is expected to have a defence budget of around £57 billion ($72 billion). This is a sharp contrast to the United States military, which has a defence budget of approximately $825 billion.

“I recognize that these will mean a lot to many who’ve sailed and flown in them during their deployments around the world. They have provided a valuable capability over the years. But their work is done. We must now look to the future. All current personnel will be redeployed or retrained; no one will be made redundant,” Healey said.

The UK is one of the United States’ closest and most important allies, and its defence capabilities are critical for both regional and global security. While modernizing the military is important, the challenge remains to strike the right balance between necessary cuts and retaining essential capabilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova