Impact of COVID-19 on military readiness will be limited: Poll

With the COVID-19 expected to disrupt multiple industries including defence, Verdict tried to measure the outbreak’s impact on military readiness, through a poll.

In the poll, we asked what impact COVID-19 will have on military readiness and gave three options to choose from – Very disruptive, somewhat disruptive, and minimally disruptive.

Analysis of the poll results indicates a limited (moderate to minimal) disruption due to the outbreak, as answered by more than two-thirds (68%) of the respondents.

A majority 41% of the respondents opined that COVID-19 will be somewhat disruptive to military readiness, while more than one-fourth (27%) opined that the disruption will be minimal.

Less than one-third (32%) of the respondents opined that the impact will be very disruptive.

How major militaries are ensuring readiness during the COVID-19 outbreak

Militaries across the world haven’t yet been severely affected by COVID-19, except cancellation or scale-down of exercises and deployments in the affected regions.

Amid COVID-19, the US Air Force (USAF) is still recruiting and continuing the basic military training for new recruits by incorporating general safety measures such as social distancing and deep cleaning in dorms at regular intervals.

New analytical tools launched over the past two years have helped the US Navy to assess the impact of potential supply chain disruptions on operations early and is in touch with suppliers across the world to minimise disruptions.

The British Army has affirmed about the readiness of the troops returning home from overseas deployments such as in Iraq for potential deployments anywhere in the world, if the situation calls for. The Royal Navy continues to train its new recruits during the outbreak, although with heightened hygiene measures.

Similarly, in a recent release on 02 April, NATO stated that its ability to conduct military operations is not weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic.