We’re Ready to Fight Putin in Eastern Europe – POLITICO

Eastern European NATO members including Latvia and Estonia have nervously watched Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while Finland, which borders Russia to the east, warned just this week of sabotage of critical infrastructure. NATO’s rules on collective defense stipulate that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

Despite Magowan’s tough talk, concerns remain about Britain’s military capabilities in the event of a European escalation.

Britain’s land army is at its smallest size since the 18th century. Last month, British Defense Secretary John Healey told POLITICO that the state of the armed forces was “much worse than we thought” after his Labor party entered government over the summer.

Healey announced Wednesday afternoon that Britain is removing five warships and a dozen military helicopters and drones as part of a cost-cutting program. The UK is currently undertaking a strategic defense review.

Magowan told MPs on Thursday that the British armed forces have “a number of operational risks and operational strengths,” and said he had previously spoken of needing “more lethality.”

The grilling came as the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that the British Army had completed a live firing test of its Archer Mobile Howitzer, an artillery system designed for rapid deployment. It happened during 12 days of NATO training in Finland.