Army kit 'may not be perfect for war'

THE ARMED Forces must be prepared to use equipment that is not perfectly ready for war, according to government proposals.

- Marco Giannangeli 

This could mean adapting kit which is 60 to 80 per cent capable to meet battlefield challenges in a rapidly changing conflict.

The way Ukraine has responded to equipment shortages since the Russian invasion in 2022 has been analysed to prepare the UK for a "wartime perspective".

Senior civil servant James Gavin, writing a corporate magazine, noted Kyiv's "admirable capacity to develop and procure new technology at pace in response to changing environments".

The head of the future capability at Defence Equipment and Support, which is responsible for around 1,800 defence projects, said: "Expediting innovation and procurement will require the UK to shift from a slower, more risk-averse peacetime perspective on equipping and supporting our armed forces to a wartime one.