The U.S.' Shrinking Ally

There seems to be no doubt that Britain still wants to be the United States’ most reliable ally. But as it shrinks its military budget by 10 to 20 percent, Washington is worried that it may no longer be able to do its share of the lifting on major combat operations. Though Britain’s cutbacks should not affect its ability to deploy force in Afghanistan over the next five years, the overall number of troops could be eventually reduced by 20 percent, contracting a military that is already smaller than the U.S. Marine Corps. “We would be able to maintain a moderate deployable force for a considerable length of time, if required,” said Britain’s defense minister, Liam Fox. “Maybe not exactly at the level we have now, but at still a respectable and useful level.” The challenge now, Fox added, is figuring out “where we think we can be best contributors as an ally for the United States as well as being able to deal with Britain’s unique security interests.”