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More than 13,000 people in the British armed forces are “not medically deployable”, according to figures from the Ministry of Defense.
Statistics shared by Al Carns, the Minister of Veterans, who is also a reservist, show that 99,560 people within the armed forces are fully medically deployable, while 14,350 people are on limited deployment.
However, a total of 13,522 are medically unavailable.
The Royal Navy has 2,922 medically non-deployable members, the army 6,879 and the Royal Air Force 3,721.
The Department of Defense defines a fully deployable individual as someone who is medically fit for duty without service limitations.
Meanwhile, those who are medically ineligible have major work restrictions and are not suitable for deployment on operations, but may be deployable on exercises in the UK.
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Service members with medical conditions or fitness issues that affect their ability to perform their duties are typically referred to a medical board for a medical examination and review of their medical assessment.
They may be downgraded to allow for treatment, recovery and rehabilitation, and deployable status may be granted on a temporary or permanent basis.
Earlier this month, Mr Carns, a former full-time Royal Marine colonel, said Britain had to rebuild ‘depth’ and ‘mass’ when it comes to the forces at its disposal, he warned that the British army would be exhausted within “six months to a year” in a major war.
“In a full-scale war – not a limited intervention, but an intervention comparable to Ukraine – our military, given current casualty numbers, would be deployed – as part of a broader multinational coalition – within six months to a year,” said Carns. .
“That does not mean that we need a larger army, but it does mean that you need to quickly generate depth and mass in a crisis.”
His comments came after Britain’s defense chief of staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said there were “deficiencies” in people, equipment, supplies, training and technology.
“We need the humility to recognize that we are not as strong as we could be, and then the determination and focus to put this right,” he said.
A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “The vast majority of our service personnel – around 90% – are deployable at any time, with most of the remaining members of our armed forces serving in wider military roles.
“We are committed to providing world-class medical treatment to ensure personnel can return to work wherever possible, or to support their transition to civilian life.”