AS a former soldier, I never thought I’d hear our strongest ally denigrate our Armed Forces.
But, after years of cuts, they have.
Regrettably, a senior US general is not the first to say we are no longer a ‘tier one’ fighting force.
He told Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that we’ve been “unable to protect the UK and our allies for a decade”.
The truth makes uncomfortable listening, prompting Mr Wallace to admit the army had been hollowed out and underfunded.
Inadequate kit, outdated vehicles, shortage of ammunition and the smallest standing army since Waterloo have all contributed to the erosion of our capabilities.
Following two world wars, there has been a gradual decline in defence spending, with governments using the so-called ‘peace dividend’ on other priorities.
This is to ignore history as conflicts in Malaya, Korea, the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now a war in Europe have proved.
All the while, our expeditionary forces shrank, the ships and planes that carried and protected them were scrapped and we relied more and more on our allies for the ‘heavy lifting’.
While that in itself is no bad thing, there will be times, like the Falklands, when we have to stand on our own.
Defence should be the first priority of any government, but it does not come cheap.
Paying any insurance premium is painful until, of course, we need the cover.
And with a hot and worrying war raging in Europe, what have we to call upon?
Despite the matchless training and skills of our Armed Forces, we simply no longer have the mass to withstand a lengthy war.
Another defence review is in the pipeline and it’s essential we move back into the first division.