How small is the UK military?

Key Points:

• Since 1990, the UK military has significantly shrunk, with the army reduced from 153,000 to about 73,790 regular soldiers, the Royal Navy's major combat ships dropping from 48 to 17, and the RAF's combat jets declining from over 300 to around 174 advanced jets.
• Defence spending has been on a downward trend since the Cold War, though the government plans the largest sustained increase since then, aiming to spend 2.5% of GDP on NATO-qualifying defence by 2027 and an ambition of 3% in the next Parliament.
• The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, placing it just above the NATO average, with a commitment to reach 5% of GDP on national security by 2035, including investments beyond core defence like infrastructure protection.
• The Ministry of Defence faces challenges with major procurement projects, with nearly a quarter rated as unlikely to succeed, and an average contract award time of six and a half years for projects over £20 million.
• Experts warn that rising global threats, including from Russia and the Middle East conflicts, require increased defence investment, yet recruitment is falling and the armed forces remain sized for a less volatile era despite planned spending increases.