The British Army’s new chief who is former SAS has insisted that we have three years to “prepare” for war and the need for improvements is “urgent.”

General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff said he will increase the “lethality” of the army by not increasing troops numbers.

General Walker said there is “just enough time” for him to “prepare, act, and re-establish credible land forces.”

Speaking about Russia, General Walker said, “It doesn’t matter how it ends. I think Russia will emerge from it probably weaker objectively – or absolutely – but still very, very dangerous and wanting some form of retribution for what we have done to help Ukraine.

He said that Vladimir Putin will come out from the Ukraine war “very, very dangerous” and warned he will be “wanting retribution” against those who helped Kyiv, no matter if Moscow wins or losses.

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“The point here is when you think they [Russia] are down, they will come roaring back to get their vengeance.”

General walker who is also a former special forces officer has vowed to triple the army’s fighting ability by the end of the decade, he said at a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

During his first speech Sir Roly said that if they are “called to battle” before the timeline he has set out he warned soldiers will have no choice but to fall back onto “old hardware.”

Sir Roly who was in the SAS from 1997 said at the RUSI conference the army has to get out of the “big army mindset, where some still believe that raw troop numbers alone determine fighting power.”

“We are, in fact, a medium-sized army and we should embrace that as the catalyst that drives even greater integration for a more powerful joint force,” he added.

He also said, “If we can double then triple our fighting power, any British land force will be able to destroy a force at least three times its size and keep on doing that.

“That way we will have every confidence in being ready and able to fight anyone and win.”

He warned that if the British Army is called up to fight before the military overhaul has started or finished “it will be with much of the old hardware, and we will have to work within the limits of their stockpiles and their logistic support systems.”

“And so as we transition from old to new, our fighting power will come from a hybrid system. And that’s OK,” he added.

“Hybridity, in the right hands, can inspire extraordinary creativity, and resilience, vigour.”

He said it is “urgent” to improve the army and added, “We have got to pull the future of fighting power into the present, faster than we thought we could.

“We probably do have just enough time to prepare, act, and re-establish credible land forces to support that strategy of deterrence.”

General Walker said that he will tap into new technologies which will be “fuelled by artificial intelligence” to “double and then triple our fighting power.”

“That way we will have every confidence in being ready and able to fight anyone and win.

“It will also give our soldiers every reason to stay in the Army and contribute adding value to society.”

On Tuesday the Chief of the Defence Staff warned that the British Army is “not as strong as it could be” which comes after years of “historic underinvestment” from previous governments.

On Tuesday, Sir Tony spoke at a major land warfare conference in London that the British Army must show “the humility to recognise that we are not as strong as we could be and the determination and focus to put it right.

“There are near-term financial challenges to work through,” he said. “We are addressing historic underinvestment.

“And beneath the headline capabilities there are deficiencies in people, equipment, stockpiles, training and technology.”