The MoD defence budget - and thus military capability - is based on a set of assumptions around threats and timeframes. So, surely all weapons provided to Ukraine leave a gap in the UK inventory and therefore compromise national security?

Therefore, the West does not hold excess stocks of weapons in its stockpiles, and any shortfall in weapons cannot be swiftly addressed.

The UK - like most other nations - holds sufficient stocks of critical weapons to meet near-term needs, and routinely must 'take risk' when budget restrictions limit the number of weapons that can be procured. Modern weapons are sourced using a lengthy procurement process that involves developing a list of MoD requirements, running a competition to secure the best value for money from industry, and then procuring sufficient weapons to meet national requirements for the next few decades. The UK has sent anti-tank missiles, artillery guns, air defence systems, armoured fighting vehicles, antistructure munitions and three M270 long-range multiple launch rocket systems.Īlthough the British government is committed to supporting Ukraine over the longer-term, most of the high-tech precision weapons provided have had to be sourced from war stockpiles.

Our military analyst Sean Bell has the answer.Īs the second-biggest donor, the UK has committed £4.6bn in military assistance to Ukraine so far - £2.3bn last year and a commitment to match that funding this year.

Today's comes from Richard Sm, who asks: 'Given all the UK military equipment given to Ukraine, how depleted are the UK's military forces in its ability to defend itself?' After a week off to run our Putin: The Man and his Motives series, we are back with our lunchtime feature in which our analysts and foreign correspondents answer your questions on the war in Ukraine.

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