Just 1,000 crack Brit troops can fend off ENTIRE Russian invasion, Army chief says – as UK learns from Ukraine's tactics
IT could take only a 1,000 brave British troops to halt a major Russian invasion, the head of the British Army has claimed.
General Sir Roly Walker said the tiny British Army was like David fighting Goliath with his troops constantly learning from
Ukraine
's
battlefield
tactics.
8
It could take only a 1,000 brave British troops to halt a major Russian invasion, the head of the British Army has claimed
Credit: AP
8
General Sir Roly Walker said the tiny British Army was like David fighting Goliath with his troops constantly learning from Ukraine's battlefield tactics
Credit: Getty
8
A Ukrainian soldier in Kostiantynvka, Ukraine, fires at Russian positions
Credit: Getty
8
A Challenger 2 main battle tank of the British forces during the Nato's Spring Storm exercise in Kilingi-Nomme, Estonia
Credit: AP
The former SAS boss leads the smallest British Army for more than 300 years – of just 71,000 trained troops.
But he claimed better training and technology – like David's legendary slingshot – would give British troops an 'unfair advantage' in any
future
conflict.
Russia has lost a million troops to death and injury in Ukraine so far.
And critics have claimed the British armed forces would run out of shells and drones in an afternoon of war with
Russia
.
read more in British troops
Gen Walker insisted Britain's 'combat mass' would come with uncrewed drones in the future.
Addressing a Landware Conference in London, he said: 'A better trained force will often defeat a bigger and better equipped one. A lesson Goliath learned from David.'
He claimed a 900-strong UK battalion guarding Nato's eastern flank in Estonia was no-longer just a "strategic trip wire'.
He claimed lessons from Ukraine – including new secret communication system – was giving British troops the edge.
Most read in The Sun
He said: "It's a project that is flipping our forward land forces in Estonia from a strategic tripwire into an invasion stopping capability."
He added: "When Russian soldiers eventually return to barracks across the River Narva, they're going to find the same lethal recce-strike systems there, which gave them such a mauling in the Donbas."
UK must build a Putin-pounding military like Poland - or he'll steamroll over us, ex-general warns
British troops based in Estonia are armed with Challenger 2 tanks are serving as part of Operation Cabrit, to enhance Nato's forward presence.
Gen Walker said the Army still needed tanks – despite the fact that the £20million weapons could be blitzed by a £1,000 drone.
But in future he said the Army would need to spend half its money on disposable and uncrewed weapons.
He described a new three-tier fighting system, with soldiers at the centre, protected by two outer rings of drones.
The troops will continue to operate 'survivable and lethal platforms' such as Challenger 3 tanks and Ajax and Boxer vehicles.
He said: 'We wouldn't put troops there without a rifle,
radio
, body armour and helmet, so why would we put their vehicles there without guns, armour plating and comms?'
But he insisted those expensive vehicles would make up no more than a fifth of the army's arsenal.
In the future, they will be bolstered by two outer layers of robots and AI powered drones.
He said they would provide the Army's 'combat mass'.
The first robot later would 'fly, float and drive' and be bristling with sensors to find and track enemy units and loaded with missiles to destroy what they find.
He said: 'You don't want to lose them, but it's not a tragedy if you do because, although sophisticated, they're uncrewed.'
The final layer will be made up of 'consumable systems'.
He said: 'These are your even cheaper single-use platforms, like one-way effectors. When they're gone, they're gone.
'And that's how we are multiplying our fighting
power
, with a three-ring source of lethality.'
8
Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey visit troops at the Tapa Nato operating base in Estonia
Credit: PA
8
Lessons from Ukraine are now giving British troops the edge
Credit: AP
8
Brit Major Joe Wooldrigde during the multinational air and artillery live fire exercise alongside Finnish and Swedish Armed Forces
Credit: Ian Whittaker
8
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