Britain must increase military spending as Moscow invests billions in its northern fleet, Gen. Gwyn Jenkins has claimed<\/p>\n
The British Royal Navy needs significantly more investment and closer ties with arms makers in order to retain its \u201cadvantage\u201d in the Atlantic over rivals such as Russia, First Sea Lord Gen. Gwyn Jenkins has said.
\nAddressing the Sea Power Conference on Monday, the UK’s top naval officer said the country’s maritime edge is eroding as global competitors invest in expanding their capabilities.
\n\u201dThe advantage that we have enjoyed in the Atlantic since the end of the Second World War is at risk. We are holding on, but not by much,\u201d Jenkins claimed. \u201cOur would-be opponents are investing billions. We have to step up, or we will lose that advantage.\u201d
\nHe cited Moscow as supposedly being the biggest threat, claiming a \u201c30% increase in Russian incursion in our waters\u201d over the past two years alone.
\nTo combat the so-called threat, Jenkins announced the UK is working with the country\u2019s arms manufacturers to develop technology to detect enemy submarines. Contracts for the new systems are set to be issued next year.<\/p>\n
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Russia has long criticized Western states, including the UK, for their \u201crabid militarization,\u201d warning it risks sparking a wider conflict in Europe. Moscow has argued that claims of a looming Russian threat are manufactured by Western governments to justify soaring military budgets and to distract public attention from domestic problems.
\nThe call by Jenkins for more cash for the navy comes after UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced \u00a326 billion ($34.4 billion) in tax increases last month, partly intended to fund expanded defense spending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Britain must increase military spending as Moscow invests billions in its northern fleet, Gen. Gwyn Jenkins has claimed The British Royal Navy needs significantly more investment and closer ties with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24038,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t