British military experts have warned that the MoD's plans to replace existing battlefield vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) could cause problems for personnel. They warn that current EV technology is not up to the task of supporting troops in battlefield environments.
Virtue signaling?
In 2021, the MoD called human-induced climate change a “clear and present danger” and committed to playing its part in helping the UK reach net zero. After Labor took power last year, plans such as electrifying combat vehicles escalated.
But some British military officials question whether it is possible to achieve net zero while maintaining readiness. Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, said:
This amounts to virtue signaling for the[Department of Defense]to get on board with climate change. I think you end up wasting a lot of time and resources trying to show that you're doing your part. At present, the technology does not yet exist.
Keeping modern vehicles fueled is extremely difficult and a massive undertaking in itself. I don't see how that would work in an EV.
Navy officials also have doubts about the reliability of electric vehicles in wartime. According to West Admiral Road, Spithead:
The objective must be to have war-winning equipment that can be used in the situations in which we are fighting. That's how we can fight, win, and defeat enemies like Russia. That should be the goal of what we're developing.
If you're saying we should have something that achieves net zero, I don't think that's a priority. We need something we can use to fight and win. Because war may break out in the next few years. Some people may think that net zero is that important, but from a war perspective, it is not.
The enemy is not “green”
Potential enemies of the British military will not be interested in how environmentally friendly their military is said to be.
Colonel Tim Collins, who commanded the Royal Irish in Iraq, explained:
I don't think our enemies are paying attention to this kind of thing. They are probably looking for immediate results, not approval ratings.
I doubt that current batteries can provide the horsepower needed for war. What's driving this? Is it a battlefield necessity or a fashion item? If it's fashion, it's no good. Renewable energy alone is insufficient to provide the power needed for a potential conflict.
However, battery-powered vehicles appear to be future plans for the British military. Gen. Mark Carleton-Smith said in 2019 that the current military fleet would be “the last fleet to rely on fossil fuels.”
Brigadier James Vigne, head of climate change and sustainability at the British Army, said: “My personal view is that the internal combustion engine is in its final stages and the switch to new technologies could be rapid. That's true.''
A “renewable” military is not possible
In the UK, some military commanders appear to be opposed to the government's net zero target, at least when it comes to combat readiness. If the government's goals are above all environmentally friendly, those in the UK who actually fight for it are questioning the wisdom of that attitude.
Will the troops on the ground be expected to drag their own solar panels and wind turbines? Can extra lithium-ion batteries be dragged along? Wouldn't that be dangerous in a combat zone where batteries are prone to fire? How much renewable energy can a battalion or division carry?
In the United States, enthusiasm for climate change may have stalled a bit with the election of President Donald Trump. But don't worry. Other Western countries are still grappling with the unrealistic dream of net-zero emissions, even if it makes it harder to protect themselves.
