The British Army has reportedly been instructed to suspend “non-essential” training exercises in the UK for units not preparing for overseas deployment, in a move aimed at saving money.
This directive comes as the government continues to face significant financial pressures on the defence budget, despite promises to boost military expenditure.
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Soldiers assigned to missions abroad, including deployments to Estonia, the Falklands, or Cyprus, will continue to receive necessary training.
However, other UK-based units have reportedly been directed to cut back on larger collective drills.
As stated by a defence source, this includes cancelling live-fire exercises such as those planned for the Royal Tank Regiment in Wales and joint manoeuvres involving tanks and Apache helicopters.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is prioritising training directly related to operational readiness and current security needs.
“Our training continues and we are prioritising activity that contributes most directly to readiness, deployability and operational effectiveness,” an Army spokesperson said.
The Army is also reviewing each training request individually, aiming to ensure that essential skills, such as those informed by the conflict in Ukraine including drone and counter-drone warfare, are not compromised.
The decision to pause selected UK exercises is not a reflection of Army preference, the defence source noted, and is expected to remain in effect for most of the year.
According to reports, ongoing financial pressure on the MoD’s training budget persists, even as overall defence expenditure is set to rise.
Much of the planned increase towards a goal of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by next year has been allocated to large capital projects and new weapons programmes, with less room for operational and training costs.
The government is facing mounting calls to accelerate defence spending further. At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, the chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, Labour’s Tan Singh Dhesi, urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to commit to 3% of GDP in defence expenditure by 2030.
“I’ve made that commitment very clear, and I have done for a considerable period of time,” Burnham responded.
Internal debate over military funding has contributed to recent upheavals in government leadership.
The government’s handling of defence budgets played a role in Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister, and there have been swift changes in defence minister posts this year, with Wes Streeting now serving as Secretary of State for Defence following the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Despite the government’s pledge, reaching the 3% spending target by 2030 remains uncertain.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a reduction in welfare spending to free up funds for the military, and her party maintains it would meet the 3% target within the decade.
In June this year, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, had already told the House of Lords Defence Committee that the Defence Investment Plan could result in cuts or delays to planned acquisitions.
He warned that ongoing budget constraints might force the Armed Forces to scale back operational activities, including reducing the number of units or platforms available for exercises and standing tasks.
Knighton said: “The thing I am most concerned about is RDEL [funding], our day-to-day operational [requirements]. Without changes to the settlement… then those areas will come under pressure,” Knighton confirmed.”
Meanwhile, analysis from GlobalData suggests the UK defence sector is set for considerable growth in funding as the country works towards updated Nato objectives.
In its United Kingdom Defence Market 2026-2031, the data and analytic platform estimates that UK defence expenditure will rise to $100.8bn by 2027, representing approximately 2.3% of nominal GDP, and is anticipated to increase further to $122.7bn by 2031.
The report notes that acquisitions will account for the largest share of this investment, with personnel costs and operational spending following behind.
