The State of the Armed Forces: the pandemic, the changes, the future.

Throughout the pandemic, the Armed Forces played a key role, from building NHS Nightingale hospitals, to administering vaccines.

It’s been a year like no other, and the range of MACA (Military to Civil Authorities) requests have brought the Armed Forces under a spotlight at a time of uncertainty, keeping medical supplies moving and motorways running.

Given the shift in the role of the Armed Forces, it’s no surprise that there are expected changes set for the future, including new investments, the creation of more jobs, and an adaptation to new developments from the government. 

Let’s take a look at the past, the present and the future of the Armed Forces.

The pandemic

It isn’t an understatement to say that the Armed Forces have taken on a variety of MACA requests to support the UK throughout the pandemic.

Though much attention has been brought to the role of the Armed Forces for building NHS Nightingale hospitals, Covid-19 testing, and assisting with the vaccination rollout, however, the Armed Forces have also assisted with airlifting medical supplies around the Highlands, and even driving ambulances in Wales.

Additionally, over the Christmas period the Armed Forces tested hauliers crossing into Europe in order to keep motorways running smoothly.

Ensuring the safety of the general population was the priority for those assisting with testing efforts during the pandemic, testing up to 800 individuals per day whilst contending with rigid safety measures and health protocols during the process.

Armed Forces doctors and nurses have also been a vital lifeline for the NHS, supporting Covid-19 wards and being deployed in hospitals and aiding NHS staff with vaccination efforts.

From reservists to regulars, skillsets have been put to use across testing programmes through the advice of logistical planners, drivers and engineers helping testing sites, and the delivery of supplies, tests and PPE overseas.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Armed Forces also brought British citizens home on repatriation flights from where they were stranded.

At a time when much of the UK has been in periods of isolation, the Armed Forces have been a consistent and comforting positive force, putting their transferable skillsets to great use.

The changes

Vaccination efforts are still underway in the UK, meaning that the Armed Forces are still supporting the rollout alongside the NHS to ensure that as much of the public is vaccinated as possible.

The rise of variants of concern has also meant increased priority to specific areas in the UK, with 144 Army medics being deployed in Bolton to help the vaccination programme, alongside the 75 personnel providing support for mass testing.

Part of the UK Government’s response to variants of concern, such as the Delta variant, is to have 400 trained vaccinators available for deployment upon requirement, in addition to 4,300 service personnel at high readiness that can be called on for support across the UK.

The Armed Forces’ response to the pandemic has actually become the biggest ever homeland military operation in peacetime, with more than 5,000 personnel involved.

The continued support of vaccination and testing efforts is likely to still be a key feature for now, but what does the future hold?

The future of the armed forces

The Defence Secretary has set out a vision for the future of the Armed Forces, including the intention for billions to be invested across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.

The adaptation to counter hybrid and conventional threats is a key element in this vision for the future, which also entails £85 billion on equipment over the next four years alone. 

This will support over 400,000 jobs across all four nations of the UK, with an effort to modernise the Armed Forces and create financial sustainability.

The rundown on investment

The British Army is set to receive significant investment towards becoming more agile and expeditionary, receiving an additional £3 billion on new vehicles, air defences, long-range rocket systems, drones, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities.

There is also the creation of new Ranger Regiments costing £120 million, which will support Special Forces in deterrence activity, including training, and a new Warfighting Experimentation Battlegroup designed to fight prototype warfare.

By 2024 the Royal Navy will have developed a new Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ship to come into service, protecting vital underwater maritime infrastructure. 

Shipbuilding investment is also predicted to double over the life of this Parliament, rising to over £1.7 billion a year and growing the fleet of frigates and destroyers during this decade.

Investment of £200 million over the next ten years is also provided to The Royal Marines to form the Future Command Force, a Commando force intended to be persistently deployed to conduct specialist maritime security operations.

An investment of £2 billion will also be made in the Future Combat Air System, which will deliver a variety of crewed, uncrewed and autonomous platforms including the Tempest fighter jet. 

This programme has already created over 1,800 highly-skilled jobs in over 300 companies across the UK.

In a nutshell

It’s been a whirlwind year for the Armed Forces in the UK, particularly in relation to the efforts made to assist with the pandemic.

The news around investments into the Armed Forces is positive for the future, though there are still concerns around the precedence of electronic warfare (you can read more about what a reduced headcount in the army means for the ex-forces market on our blog).

However, in times of such heightened uncertainty, the Armed Forces has provided a sense of pride, safety and security to the public, which is no small feat.

In the future, investments made in the Armed Forces are meant to increase speed, readiness and resilience, all whilst modernising and adapting.

Primarily, the Armed Forces are moving towards an innovative, flexible form of operating, to counter both hybrid and conventional threats.

After the ups and downs of the pandemic, a little bit of certainty around the future of the Armed Forces may provide some much-needed clarity.

Get in touch with the OWOA team today to find out more about the benefits of ex-forces candidates for your organisation.