MOD stress-testing with war-games how UK would cope in war

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The UK Ministry of Defence is conducting a week-long test of ammunition and equipment supplies to establish how industry and government can work together in wartime situations. Industry members are engaging in the exercise for the first time, alongside military leaders and officials. Taking place at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, the test will simulate ‘real-time, war-time scenarios’ to observe the impact of severe disruption in supply chains, protracted conflict and possible war considerations.

According to Defence Secretary John Healey, the gaming coincides with the government’s launch of its defence industrial strategy, which aims to strengthen the industry’s innovation and provide a more resilient supply chain. Speaking at the London Defence Conference, Healey also noted that the defence industry was an important part of securing national growth and investment in defence would signal a strong message to Russia.

Russian aggression toward Ukraine highlighted serious discrepancies in Europe’s ability to sustain combat over long periods. The UK’s former head of the US Army, Lt Gen Ben Hodges, commented that in 2021, the British army quickly used up all its ammunition in a war-gaming exercise. Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO allies had been producing only tens of thousands of 155mm artillery units, but this number had grown, with some 2 million rounds now being created a year across NATO members. However, this is still lower than Russia’s estimated production levels, which are believed to be around 3 million per year.

The MOD’s war-gaming this week will concentrate on the supply chains for drones and artillery ammunition. The objective of the gaming exercise is to reveal vulnerabilities, which can then guide future investment decisions. Among the companies participating in the exercise are Babcock, Lockheed Martin, MBDA and BAE Systems

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