The Utility of Land Power to the British State

Following the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review, a combination of changed strategic circumstances and anticipated technological transformation is driving a restructuring of the British Army. Although this will be informed by experimentation, it is vital that the emerging force provides policymakers with the tools that the UK’s interests demand from the British Army. This Whitehall Report provides a framework for how the Army must structure itself to meet the demands of policy. It also provides the Army with a list of tests to measure the policy relevance of its capabilities and structures.

The report concludes that the UK military must perform three broad tasks: deterrence by denial of Russian aggression against NATO; deterrence by punishment to protect UK interests; and the projection of influence to build and strengthen strategic partnerships to secure the UK’s prosperity.