OpenTube

Why Britain Could Lose to Russia in 48 Hours

The Times

138,229 views

The maths of warfare has changed, but Britain is still budgeting for the past. The MoD procurement system has become a disaster area, prioritising outdated heavy hardware over the digital, autonomous future. Defence editor Larisa Brown outlines how the UK has run out of weapons and is now losing the domestic tech talent needed to build them. We are rapidly reaching the point where the cost of waiting will far outweigh the cost of preparation.

Produced by Stephanie Bosset

#ukdefence #britishmilitary #defencespending #geopolitics #nationalsecurity

Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/
Subscribe to the Times Originals YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_...
Find us on Facebook: Facebook: timesandsundaytimes
Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes
Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetimes?lang=en
Find us on Instagram: Instagram: thetimes

0:00 The defense crisis
0:50 Diminishing military capacity
1:56 Exposed vulnerabilities
2:49 Funding the future of warfare
4:08 Inefficient spending and policy
5:03 The cost of inaction

20 Comments

@Empire007Karmangaa 3 months ago

It's hard to watch a country that starts industrial revolution having hard time manufacturing defence equipments.

@Fig7sy 3 months ago

I wonder how long those "experts" gave Ukraine before the war?

@chongxina8288 3 months ago

They’d never get past my mate Kevin

@kyleandre6957 3 months ago

''...the cost of the war you're not prepared for is always higher than the cost of the weapons meant to prevent it.'' That's how deterrence works.

@SarthakChaudhary-vu8fp 3 months ago

Are we just gonna ignore the fact that kyrgyzstan was randomly a part of china

@PLChan-s4v 3 months ago (edited)

For a country that obsesses in speech and words rather than works (as seen in the parliament), there is nothing to surprise that it may lose in 48 hours.

@John-un3lj 1 month ago

Britain has already lost - & not to Russia.

@ohhriiiight 3 months ago

Stupid policies by our governments have crippled this country. So much history, talent and potential being stunted by bad leadership.

@freebirdmixr 3 months ago

This is what happens when private business becomes too entwined with a government body - we can’t fix or manufacture our own equipment - everything is contracted out to private businesses - lads aren’t even allowed to change light bulbs on camp because a private businesses can charge the MOD £100-£200 for the privilege

@VanderlyndenJengold 3 months ago

Isn't it amazing that all this has occurred recently and not at all over, I don't know, the last 15 or more years? All this despite having a vast expenditure, one of the largest in the world. Where were The Times during that period?

@greenvlog3517 3 months ago

Now British need to use stone , Archer and giant slingshot like in the movie of medieval proud time 😂😂😂

@charlesbruggmann7909 3 months ago

Regional power? Isn’t the UK supposed to contribute 2 divisions + an Army Corps headquarters.
The UK defense budget includes MI6 and GCHQ - the Army is rapidly becoming a bad joke.

@IKeepItBurrito 3 months ago

Those Generals seems pretty happy about being defenseless for 4 more years.

@lastcliprick 3 months ago

To be fair the gov did outline advanced manufacturing and defence in its industrial plan and it is pushing for drone companies and development, particularly in Swindon. They just opened a new drone manufacturing site there a few days ago. But it does need to accelerate, I agree. The average life of a tank after its discovered in Ukraine can drop to just a couple hours. Drones are the future, but they're also just cost-effective, and given how squeezed gov budgets are we need to spend more, but also smarter.

@khn-o4n 3 months ago

Stellar reporting 👏🏽👏🏽

@Dirtysensor42 2 weeks ago

Round up all those doctors and engineers to fight for you

@vanguard8889 3 months ago

Could lose? Let it happen… in fact I would love for Russia or China to take us out. This country is overrun. Millions must go!

@noodlechicken4169 3 months ago

Who does England think they’re going to war with? England is no longer a real global player. Nobody is attacking you. You are being invaded from the inside.