Britain Makes Defense Cuts, But US is Left to Tie up Loose Ends

October 25, 2010

By Michelle Consorte

With the 8 percent cuts in Great Britain’s defense budget expected to take full effect by 2015, Britain will not be able to fulfill its commitment as an ally to NATO and the United States.

Yet, Britain still claims that it will be able to keep its commitment as an ally and continue its aid to the US in Afghanistan.

Liam Fox, the British Defense Minister, told reporters that Britain will “be able to maintain a moderate deployable force for a considerable length of time, if required… Maybe not exactly at the level we have now, but at still a respectable and useful level.”

However reassuring this statement was meant to sound, it is a gentle way of saying “we still support your cause, but you’re on your own.” The level of military aid that Britain is giving now is “useful,” so, wouldn’t a lower level of aid be less useful? Fox’s language of possibility is startling when there is a distinct, real, and tangible need for military action now.

In reality, Britain will no longer have adequate resources to continue with the same level of military involvement. A planned reduction in total military personnel of at least 7,000 soldiers, from a force that started off smaller than that of the US Marines alone, along with other defense budget cuts, will spread Britain’s military too thin for it to fully honor its commitment to NATO and the US in Afghanistan.

Not only will Britain default on its promise, but the US will be left to deal with the repercussions. With Britain’s military downgrading to the size of the other individual NATO powers, the US will be forced to step up to the plate to compensate for its English counterpart’s pull-back. The cuts will put pressure on the US in a number of ways, including investing in upgraded military strength. This is especially challenging considering that the US is struggling with the growing national deficit in these unstable economic conditions.

In the current global economic instability, it is understandable that Britain wants to cut back on spending. Who doesn’t? The US faces similar issues of trying to balance economic restoration at home with sustained and effective investment in military buildup.

But Britain’s overt disregard for the most recent aspect of an Anglo-American alliance that has been in place for over 65 years is both shocking and frightening. Apparently, the US has allies in spirit and tradition, but less so when it comes time for action.