MoD admits one in five not fit to fight as soldiers 'medically not deployable'

The situation is particularly severe in the Army, where nearly a quarter of all troops are either medically unfit for deployment or face significant limitations on their ability to serve in combat roles.

Overall, the figures show 13,522 personnel are classified as 'medically not deployable' across all three military branches.

More than 27,800 military personnel across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force are "medically not deployable" (Stock)

PA

A further 14,350 service members have been deemed "medically limited deployable", according to data from Defence Minister Al Carns in response to a parliamentary question, while 99,560 personnel are considered "medically fully deployable".

The RAF has appeared most affected by medical restrictions, with 13 per cent of its force - some 3,721 individuals out of 27,969 - classified as medically not deployable.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Navy, 2,922 sailors cannot go to sea at all.

The Army faces particularly concerning deployment limitations, with 16,335 soldiers either medically not deployable or medically limited deployable, making up 23 per cent of the Army's total force of 71,340 personnel.

The situation comes as the Army has already fallen below its target size for the first time since it was set, according to MoD statistics from April.

All three service branches are currently below target strength: the Army by one per cent, the Royal Navy by five per cent and the RAF by ten per cent.

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Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, described the situation as "alarming" and called for "vigorous remedial action".

"There are two issues here: the size of our armed forces, especially the army, which are numerically too small due to the underfunding of defence since the end of the Cold War," he told The Times.

He pointed out that Russian forces in Ukraine had lost the equivalent of four times the size of the British Army, adding: "This says something about the Russian willingness to take casualties and the absurdly small size of the British Army."

Mark Francois, the Tory shadow Armed Forces minister who submitted the parliamentary question, called the figures "deeply worrying, especially within the Army".

"Not only has the army now shrunk to just over 71,000 soldiers, almost 2,000 below its established strength [but] of those, almost a quarter are not medically fully deployable," he said.

He called for "urgent action" on recruitment and retention, as well as "remedial action, especially physiotherapy, to ensure our remaining soldiers are truly fighting fit".

Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, described the situation as "alarming" and called for "vigorous remedial action"

PA

Those deemed "medically not deployable" are personnel who are medically fit for duty but with major employment limitations.

While they cannot deploy on operations, they may participate in UK-based exercises and should be able to work effectively for at least 32.5 hours per week.

"Medically limited deployable" personnel have minor employment limitations that prevent meeting all deployment requirements.

These limitations may include restrictions due to medical conditions, exposure to extreme weather, the need to avoid noise or chemicals, or specific medical requirements.

An MoD spokesman said: "The vast majority of our service personnel - around 90 per cent - are deployable at any point, with most of the remaining members of our Armed Forces employed in wider military roles."

"We are committed to providing world-class medical treatment to ensure personnel can return to duty where possible, or to support their transition to civilian life."