Revamped fitness tests will ensure soldiers can meet the demands of ground close combat. | British Army

The British Army is struggling to fill its ranks, and the numbers are stark. New Ministry of Defence data shows that the number of recruits completing training has plummeted by nearly 40% since before the pandemic, painting a worrying picture of a force facing one of its toughest manpower challenges in years. Figures published on 10 November reveal that total intake across all Army training establishments dropped from 8,956 recruits in 2019/20 to just 5,560 in 2022/23, a 38% fall. Even more trou