Three in ten troops from across the Armed Forces are not fully fit for combat, official figures have revealed.
The Royal Air Force has the biggest problem with medically unfit combatants, with 32.9 per cent of its 29,010 personnel affected by physical injuries or mental health problems.
Meanwhile, the British Army has 28.2 per cent of its 74,110 soldiers with conditions that could rule them out of frontline operations.
Just 25.9 per cent of the Royal Navy’s 29,220 personnel have reported health issues that mean they may not fit for service.
Overall, 38,033 of the Armed Forces’ total complement of 132,340 – or 28.7 per cent – are not fully combat-ready, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
The crisis will put pressure on Defence Secretary Grant Shapps at a time when Britain is struggling to retain its global influence due to recruitment problems.
The British Army has 28.2 per cent of its 74,110 soldiers with conditions that could rule them out of frontline operations (Stock photo)
In December, the combined number of regular troops and volunteer reserves in all services fell to 184,865 – 7,440 lower than the previous year and the lowest since the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century.
Former Chief of the General Staff Lord Dannatt last year warned the UK was no longer able to carry out simultaneous operations, such as campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Concerns about operational readiness were highlighted recently when it emerged that £3billion aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was unable to assist with operations against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen because its support ship, RFA Fort Victoria has a skeleton staff.
Former Army intelligence officer Colonel Phil Ingram said: ‘The Ministry of Defence has serious recruitment problems – they can’t recruit enough to replace those leaving and it seems a large percentage of those they keep in are not fit to fight.
‘This is a clear indication of a broken system and the MoD needs to realise this and come up with a plan to fix it quickly.
‘Otherwise, in a world growing more unstable by the day, our very national security could be compromised because we might find ourselves in a situation where we need a large number of troops very quickly and we haven’t got them.’
Those downgraded from frontline operations include 13,727 with musculoskeletal injuries sustained in training or combat.
The Royal Air Force has the biggest problem with medically unfit combatants, with 32.9 per cent of its 29,010 personnel affected by physical injuries or mental health problems (Stock photo)
Another 4,214 troops are being treated for mental health problems.
Some 540 are receiving treatment for orthopaedic or spinal injuries under an NHS Fast Track Surgery contract in 2023-24 – more than double the 203 in 2020-21.
The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, showed just 53,192 Army personnel are classed as Medically Fully Deployable.
There are 7,449 who cannot be deployed at all, known as Medical Non-Deployable.
Others are Medically Limited Deployable, meaning they are limited to certain duties if sent on operations.
The Navy has 21,649 personnel who are fully fit, while the RAF has 19,466.
Recruitment problems in all three Armed Forces have been attributed to a range of issues, including opposition to some military operations, young adults being unwilling to sign up and sub-standard accommodation for soldiers.
Just 5,560 regular soldiers were taken on last year, compared to a target of 8,220.
An MoD spokesman said the figures included personnel whose ailments would not affect their ability to do their job, such as an Army chef with an eye condition. Others could perform restricted duties.
‘Our personnel are highly trained and at any point around 90 per cent of the UK Armed Forces are deployable, with over 98 per cent able to fulfil wider military roles,’ the spokesman said.
‘The Armed Forces provide world-class medical treatment and recovery programmes to enable wounded, injured or sick personnel to return to duty where possible, or to support transition to civilian life.’