A Trident 2 ballistic missile submarine of the British Royal Navy (Reuters)

London -

At a time when the British government is showing clear enthusiasm for the involvement of its military forces in the Middle East, and is preparing to fill any potential American vacuum in the region in the coming months, it seems that the ability of the British defense system to achieve deterrence has come into question.

This comes as a result of frequent incidents of disruption of some of the most important British military assets, the most recent of which was the failure of the Navy to launch a missile from the Trident nuclear deterrent system near the American coast.

The aircraft carrier "Prince Wales" is preparing to participate in the ongoing NATO maneuvers near the Norwegian coast, which have been described as the largest since the Cold War and simulate a possible confrontation with Russia, to replace the aircraft carrier "Elizabeth", which was supposed to play a key role in NATO maneuvers, before Technical faults in propulsion helicopters may prevent this.

British aircraft carrier Elizabeth (Getty)

Embarrassing malfunctions

But the departure of British military equipment from service seemed to be a recurring refrain recently, as the "Prince Wales" aircraft carrier itself led to a technical malfunction that led to it being out of service in 2022.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" notes that compared to France, which has one aircraft carrier, "Charles de Gaulle", and recorded its last technical malfunction in 2010, the frequency of incidents of breakdowns in the two British aircraft carriers in recent times raises concerns and questions about the recurrence of these technical problems in military pieces. It is supposedly the most advanced and expensive ship in the British naval fleet.

In light of Western cautious anticipation of the course of the conflict with Russia as its war against Ukraine enters its third year, and the conflict in the Middle East slides into a new turn with the continuation of the Israeli war on Gaza, Britain is engaged in more than one military operation, all of which require huge capabilities and high readiness. It does not seem that the British are capable of Secure it.

A few days ago, the warship "Diamond" returned to the coast of Gibraltar after participating in securing maritime shipping lines in the Red Sea, to be replaced by the frigate "Redmond", which joined the US-led naval fleet stationed in the region, at a time when the Yemeni Houthi group's operations against... Ships crossing the sea lane, and the university believes that they are linked to Israeli companies.

It does not seem that the British want to reduce their military presence in the region. Rather, they appear prepared to fill any potential American vacuum, as British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said during a meeting with marine soldiers returning from the Middle East a few days ago that developments on the ground are what will determine the size of the situation. British military participation in ongoing operations in the region.

Military attrition

Shashank Joshi, a research professor in war studies at King's College in Britain, says that recent incidents show that Britain's military involvement on more than one front may have a negative impact on the readiness of the entire military system, despite the strength of the military fleet and the huge military spending allocated to it.

Joshi added in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that this leads to the depletion of the human energies of the British military system, as preparing an aircraft carrier of the size of the "Elizabeth" requires huge logistical supplies and engineering crews for maintenance and monitoring.

Military expert Joshi, who also holds the position of military affairs editor in The Economist magazine, believes that the repetition of these incidents, including the failure to launch a missile from a nuclear submarine, will cost Britain its international reputation and its image as a force whose effectiveness can be trusted in the field of war. Military deterrence.

He explains that the British Navy was unlucky when the last launch failed, which sparked widespread criticism, while the Trident nuclear deterrent system is the symbol of a historic partnership between the United States and Britain for decades. He points out that the occurrence of similar incidents is not limited to Britain.

Nuclear deterrence is at stake

But the failure to launch the missile from the Trident nuclear deterrent system, which the British government kept secret before it was widely reported by the British media, becoming the subject of sarcasm in Russian and Chinese newspapers, revived the debate about the strength of the British nuclear deterrent system.

The Labor Party called on the government to provide sufficient information to Parliament to reassure it regarding the effectiveness and strength of the nuclear deterrent system, while the British Defense Minister downplayed the incident, describing it as an “accidental defect,” stressing that the nuclear deterrent system is in a state of complete readiness.

After leaving the European Union, the British announced their focus on formulating a strategy for nuclear deterrence that is distinct from the rest of their European neighbors, and raised their military spending to become the highest in Europe.

The British government announced that it would increase the number of nuclear warheads to 260 nuclear warheads ready for launch, and strengthen its nuclear and military arsenal, by investing in nuclear submarines that roam the oceans to achieve the goal of nuclear deterrence, since the increase in geopolitical tension between the United States and its Western allies on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other hand. .

Source: Al Jazeera