UK 'would run out of ammo in days' if WW3 kicks off as conscription demand made

Britain's hollowed-out armed forces would burn through their battlefield supplies in "just days" if World War Three erupted, a military expert has warned. It follows claims that decades of penny-pinching cuts and depleted weapons stockpiles have left the UK critically exposed, meaning troops are no longer a credible fighting deterrent on the global stage. In an alarming wake-up call, ordinary Brits are now being urged to immediately follow government advice to stockpile emergency food and water at home, with warnings that the risk of a catastrophic clash is worse than at the height of the Cold War.

Dr Patrick Bury, a former British Army captain and NATO analyst who now works as a lecturer at the University of Bath, delivered the blistering assessment of the nation's war readiness, demanding an urgent Norway-style selective civilian draft before disaster strikes. Speaking to the Star, he said: "Without trying to freak people out, if you look historically at what the role is of the British Army, it’s basically to die while buying time for the UK to mobilise."

The grim warning comes as ministers face fury for "kicking the can down the road" on boosting defence cash, despite officials warning that Vladimir Putin is pushing the world to the brink. While the government recently committed to lifting spending to around 2.7 per cent of GDP, Dr Bury slammed politicians for dodging the crunch decisions. "The UK is coming from a low baseline with this, unfortunately," Dr Bury said. "You can go back to 2010 and those cuts were completely catastrophic for the military."

He warned that while the Ministry of Defence claims it can deploy an entire division to back NATO allies, troops would be left hopelessly exposed. "If the army says it will deploy a division to support NATO… it can't really deploy a full division of troops realistically," he said. "It would look like a division that doesn't have enough artillery. "In the old days of the Cold War, they would have had a month's worth of supplies in stock for a whole division at least.

That’s gone down to a much shorter period, sometimes just days, to save money. "The problem is that there's a big difference between effectiveness and deadly effectiveness on the battlefield. It's not credible at the moment." Dr Bury highlighted how Britain's big guns were handed over to support Ukraine, leaving our own frontlines empty. "There's no artillery because they gave it to Ukrainians, which I approve of, but it hasn't been replaced quickly enough," he said.

"The stuff coming online is too small and the army is too small. The navy probably doesn't have enough vessels and the air force is waiting for the new GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) to come through." Because troop numbers have plunged so low, Dr Bury insists Britain must introduce selective conscription, setting up a "skeleton system now somewhat like Norway that they can expand in wartime." He also urged households to take emergency preparedness seriously: "We're in a deeply unstable situation...having a stockpile is just common sense at this stage."

Responding to the comments, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "This government has delivered the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the Cold War – taking spending to almost £300 billion to keep the British people safe. “The UK regularly exercises alongside NATO allies to test and strengthen warfighting readiness and is NATO's third-highest defence spender. “Through the Defence Investment Plan, we're investing £11.1 billion in weapons and munitions and creating an always-on munitions pipeline, strengthening our ability to deter the threats we face."