EXCLUSIVEEx-RAF 長，指導者 says Britain's 空気／公表する 軍隊 would run out of ミサイルs within DAYS if we went to war - and a new £1.7billion drone (n)艦隊／(a)素早い is a 'waste of money' that would be 発射 負かす／撃墜する within a week

By Tom Cotterill

Published: | Updated:

A 最高の，を越す 空気／公表する 軍隊 指揮官 has 爆破d Britain's woeful 軍の spending 記録，記録的な／記録する and 警告するd the RAF would run out of 空気／公表する-to-空気／公表する ミサイルs in a 事柄 of days if it was dragged into a 十分な-規模 war.

空気／公表する 保安官 Edward Stringer, the UK's former Director General of 共同の 軍隊 （軍隊などの）展開，配備, 警告するd the nation's 軍の was 'stretched too thinly'.

In a blistering critique, the 上級の RAF 長，指導者 lambasted Whitehall bureaucrats for failing to 備蓄（する） enough 弾薬／武器.

He also branded a £1.7bn 事業／計画（する） to 建設する a (n)艦隊／(a)素早い of 16 無人の drones a 'waste of money', and （人命などを）奪う，主張するd the 航空機 would be 発射 負かす／撃墜する within a 事柄 of days if Britain entered a war with the likes of Russia or 中国.

Speaking to MailOnline, the RAF 退役軍人 said: 'We have 追求するd a thing called the "balanced 軍隊". It's lovely if you've got all the money in the world. But we don't.

'How many days would it take before we ran out of 空気／公表する-to-空気／公表する ミサイルs ? it's perhaps five. It's a 事柄 of days. It's certainly not weeks.'

Britain could run out of vital air-to-air missiles in a matter of days should the nation be dragged into war, a top RAF commander warned (pictured, an RAF jet fires a short-range missile)

Britain could run out of 決定的な 空気／公表する-to-空気／公表する ミサイルs in a 事柄 of days should the nation be dragged into war, a 最高の，を越す RAF 指揮官 警告するd (pictured, an RAF jet 解雇する／砲火／射撃s a short-範囲 ミサイル)

Air Marshal Edward Stringer, the UK's former Director General of Joint Force Deployment, warned the nation's military was 'stretched too thinly

空気／公表する 保安官 E dward Stringer, the UK's former Director General of 共同の 軍隊 （軍隊などの）展開，配備, 警告するd the nation's 軍の was 'stretched too thinly

The 退役軍人 空気／公表する 長，指導者 also raised 関心s about the RAF's new (n)艦隊／(a)素早い of Protector drones, which are 始める，決める to 取って代わる the Reaper 無人の 空中の 乗り物s.?

Built by General 原子のs in the US, the 航空機 have a wingspan of about 79ft - bigger than most 商売／仕事 jets - and can 巡航する at 40,000ft for more than 30 hours.

It is also packed with 監視 sensors and is 有能な of carrying 500lb レーザー-guided 爆弾s and 空気／公表する-to-ground ミサイルs.

But the cost of the new 世代 of war machines has ballooned from an 概算の lifetime cost in 2016 of £1.25bn to £1.76bn now.?

The price 引き上げ（る） was 明らかにする／漏らすd in a 一連の 大臣の answers to written 議会の questions by the 労働 party in 最近の months.?

によれば 文書s, a 決定／判定勝ち（する） by the 省 of Defence (MoD) in 2021 to 延期する the 事業／計画（する） by two years in a 企て，努力，提案 to save cash 追加するd an 概算の £187m to the programme.

Other 問題／発行するs that led to cost 増加するs 含むd late design changes, which saw the 航空機's main sensors swapped out to 避ける them becoming obsolete.

Commenting on the Protector drones, 空気／公表する 保安官 Stringer 警告するd: 'The RAF is gleefully 発表するing it's taking the first of the 16 Protector drones.

The veteran air chief also raised concerns about the new £1.7bn fleet of Protector drones (pictured) which are set to replace the Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles

The 退役軍人 空気／公表する 長，指導者 also raised 関心s about the new £1.7bn (n)艦隊／(a)素早い of Protector drones (pictured) which are 始める，決める to 取って代わる the Reaper 無人の 空中の 乗り物s

Military chiefs, experts and politicians have previously called for further cash to be spent on improving Britain's air defences, to create an Israeli-style 'Iron Dome'. Pictured is an example of how the UK could react to a large-scale air attack, and the areas that could be protected

軍の 長，指導者s, 専門家s and 政治家，政治屋s have 以前 called for その上の cash to b e spent on 改善するing Britain's 空気／公表する defences, to create an Israeli-style 'アイロンをかける ドーム'. Pictured is an example of how the UK could 反応する to a large-規模 空気／公表する attack, and the areas that could be 保護するd?

Pictured is how Russia could potentially take advantage of an alleged 'gap' in Britain's air defences, as raised by military experts during a conference in London last week

Pictured is how Russia could 潜在的に take advantage of an 申し立てられた／疑わしい 'gap' in Britain's 空気／公表する defences, as raised by 軍の 専門家s during a 会議／協議会 in London last week?

'Billions of 続けざまに猛撃するs have been spent on drones that wouldn't last a week in a war. It's a waste of money.'

He also criticised the UK's £1.4bn Watchkeeper 秘かに調査する drone 事業／計画（する）, which has been branded an 'unmitigated 災害' after 非常に／多数の 衝突，墜落s?まっただ中に （人命などを）奪う，主張するs the 装置s are too 激しい and struggle in poor 天候.

The 航空機, which are 価値（がある） £30m a piece, need their own 滑走路 to take off from, before they can start 秘かに調査するing on enemy positions, said 空気／公表する 保安官 Stringer.

'How, when you're under ロシアの 大砲 解雇する／砲火／射撃, how do you 推定する／予想する to be able to take a couple of days to flatten a field to then 始める，決める up a little 離着陸場 to run the little Watchkeeper ? without the ロシアのs 爆破 you,' the 空気／公表する 保安官 追加するd.

'It's not a 概念 that 作品 in the modern world.'

労働's 影をつくる／尾行する Defence 長官 John Healey 以前 said the 急に上がるing cost of Protector was an example of the MoD's 'broken' 調達 system and wasteful 態度 to taxpayers' money.?

Tory MP 示す Francois, a former 武装した 軍隊s 大臣, was also worried about the 明言する／公表する of the RAF.

Mr Francois, who sits on 議会's 影響力のある Defence 委員会, told MailOnline: 'Not only do we have a 限られた／立憲的な war reserve of 空気／公表する-to-空気／公表する ミサイルs, we have no reserve at all of 戦闘 航空機 to 解雇する／砲火／射撃 them.?

'That is why it's 決定的な that when the RAF retires its 30 tranche one 台風s next year it abandons 計画（する）s to sell them off but instead places them in 貯蔵 as a 'war reserve 闘士，戦闘機 wing' of three 価値のある 闘士，戦闘機 騎兵大隊s instead.?

Former defence minister Mark Francois called on the MoD to not to sell off 30 of the UK's oldest Typhoon jets and instead keep them in reserve (pictured is a Typhoon)

Former defence 大臣 示す Francois called on the MoD to not to sell off 30 of the UK's oldest 台風 jets and instead keep them in reserve (pictured is a 台風)

'It takes four years to build a 台風 from scratch so far better to keep them - just in 事例／患者.'

This week saw Rishi Sunak committing the UK to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 - as the 総理大臣 sought to put the country on a 'war 地盤'.

The 誓約（する） was trumpeted as the biggest defence 上げる in a 世代, equating to an 追加するd £75bn going into the MoD.

あられ／賞賛するing a 'turning point' in 国家の 安全, the PM said 軍の spending 上げる would make Britain 'by far the largest defence 力／強力にする in Europe'.?

The 投資 証明するd a major victory for the Mail's 'Don't Leave Britain Defenceless' （選挙などの）運動をする, which was calling on the 政府 to stump up billions more to better 用意する the nation's 軍の.?

Last month a former defence 大臣 （人命などを）奪う，主張するd Britain's 軍の 備蓄（する）s were so low, the country would run out of 弾薬／武器 in 10 days if war broke out.?

労働 MP John Spellar, who served as 武装した 軍隊s 大臣 between 1999 and 2001, told 議会: 'The 大臣 rightly speaks about the ability to 支える fighting, he knows that an 演習 行為／行うd with the Americans showed that the British Army would run out of 軍需品s within 10 days.'?

MailOnline has approached the MoD for comment.??

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