In a paper published by the New Bletchley Network former security chiefs have warned that the UK must “genuinely prepare for war” to be a credible deterrent.

The government has been strongly advised to reverse 20 years of hollowing out the armed forces which has ultimately led to diminished fighting power.

The former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson and the former national security adviser Lord Sedwill are part of the signees on the published report.

The report warns that both the regular army and the reserves has shrunk “far below national critical mass,” and the government are being urged to reverse this.

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The published paper reads, “To be credible in deterrence terms we need to prepare genuinely for war and communicate this to potential foes, NATO and allies, and particularly to the British public.

“British Army credibility has been weakened by 20-plus years of hollowing out and diminished fighting power. Army morale is fragile.”

The former security chiefs are calling for a New Model Army that will turn the British Army into a credible and respected force, which comes after the Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned that the UK is now in a “pre-war” phase.

The report added, “Our land forces and reserves could be said to have fallen far below national critical mass.

“This must be reversed and the relationship between size and technology must be better understood and articulated.”

The report continued, “We have to be bold and make difficult, sometimes unpopular, decisions if we are able to deliver credible fighting power within realistic budgets and to meet the time imperative.”

Lord Admiral West summed it up in one sentence, “We have to be bold and make difficult, sometimes unpopular, decisions if we are able to deliver credible fighting power within realistic budgets and to meet the time imperative.”

In January General Sir Patrick Sanders Chief of the General Staff has told Brits they must be ready for war with Russia and they will need to “think like troops.”

Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, also warned that Western countries have to be ready “to find more people if it comes to war.”

General Sir Patrick echoed those comments as Admiral Bauer said that the UK and European countries will have to consider “mobilisation, reservists or conscription” as the West are preparing for war with Russia.

General Lord Dannatt warned the UK risks a repeat of 1930s unless the government invests more money into the armed forces.

He warned that the army is shrinking in size and has fallen 102,000 in 2006 to 74,000 today and pay and conditions needs to be “urgently reviewed” to attract new recruits.

Lor Dannatt said a “pay rise to attract recruits and to retain current trained personnel should be a priority, as should addressing the appalling quality of some armed forces accommodation.”

Writing in The Times Lord Dannatt made reference to the 1930s when the British forces failed to deter Adolf Hitler, he warned, “There is a serious danger of history repeating itself.”

He added, “If our armed forces are not strong enough to deter future aggression from Moscow or Beijing it will not be a small war to contend with but a major one.”