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Britain's armed forces are dangerously depleted, highlighted by a recent drone attack on RAF bases in Cyprus, which exposed unpreparedness. The Royal Navy currently has no warships in the Persian Gulf or eastern Mediterranean, with only 130 active RAF jets and 70,000 army personnel available.

Defence spending has fallen to just over 2% of GDP, despite the Ministry of Defence's budget being £66 billion annually. Concerns about a potential conflict with Russia by 2029 have been raised, yet political commitment to increase defence funding remains lacking, leaving the UK in a vulnerable position.