British Army officers are considering quitting as they have been told they must wait over a decade for a promotion as “bloated” senior-ranking soldiers are blocking their progression.
Speaking to The Times, young officers have revealed they are considering leaving their posts due to “bottlenecks” preventing them from rising in the ranks.
This comes as the army has fewer than 74,000 soldiers – which is the smallest it has been in centuries.
Analysis of the army’s “Future Soldier” programme has found that 140 officers hold the rank of brigadier but there are only 32 brigade-level units.
This comes as the army has fewer than 74,000 soldiers – which is the smallest it has been in centuries
GETTY
The army has 44 major generals, 10 lieutenant generals and three generals.
These are: General Sir Roly Walker, chief of the general staff; General Dame Sharon Nesmith, vice-chief of the defence staff; and General Sir Jim Hockenhull, head of strategic command.
Officers have reported being told they would not be eligible for promotion for over a decade, with one officer contrasting the British Army’s approach with the way Ukraine has relied on younger soldiers to lead the effort.
“Budanov is only 39,” they said, referring to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief. “We have an insanely bloated officer corps which is creating bottlenecks.”
MORE LIKE THIS:
- ‘It’s a scandal!’ Army insiders blow whistle on dwindling British Army as retention crisis deepens
- EXPOSED: Army insider blows whistle on ‘woke ideology’ infecting Britain’s forces – ‘meritocracy wins wars, not DEI’
- Aldershot bomb threat: Bomb squad descends on ex-army barracks after man drives through barriers
Although army sources have acknowledged the slow progression, they said that during peacetime there is no need to adopt similar stuctures as Ukraine.
The source said: “You can’t compare to the situation in Ukraine, because they are at war. The British Army is a meritocracy. You have to be the best in your cohort to move fast.”
However, defence analyst Francis Tusa compared the approach with how British officers rose quickly in their ranks during WWI and WWII.
He said: “There used to be an old adage, ‘train as you mean to fight’. That also means organise as you mean to fight. Why wait for war to adopt your real structure?”
Tusa suggested the large number of senior officers was due to the army rewarding people for length of service
X
Tusa suggested the large number of senior officers was due to the army rewarding people for length of service.
He added: “How do you persuade people to stay on? A bit like in the civil service, you promote them. Do you get rank inflation? Potentially, yes.”
The army said: “The British Army’s officer corps is configured and resourced to best meet the needs of the service and wider defence.”
“Our leaders are amongst the best in the world and are a vital part of delivering the army that Nato needs and the nation demands.
“Promotion is not based solely on time served but on performance, potential and suitability for the next rank. We pride ourselves on recognising and rewarding talent.”