In 2012 a £495 mln campaign launched to bring in fresh recruits failed dismally; the company in charge of the effort, Capita, has botched hiring targets every year since then, according to UK's National Audit Office.
The UK's armed forces are in the throes of one of the worst manpower crises in the nation's military history, The Sun on Sunday revealed.
Britain's defence chiefs are reportedly almost 10,000 men and women short of the number the government believes is required to ensure the country's safety.
According to alarming figures obtained by the paper, practically every regiment, infantry battalion, unit and corps in the UK Army is understaffed.
Reports show that the Royal Navy and the RAF also jointly fall 3,000 troops short of the targets they set under the 2015 defence and security review.
In line with government defence plans, the MoD is requiring an army of 82,000 men and women by 2020, with the overall number of troops in the armed forces standing at 144,200.
However, current MoD figures reveal that the Royal Navy and Royal Marines are 1,230 short of their 30,450 personnel target, the Royal Air Force is 1,740 short of its 31,750 personnel target and the British Army is 6,930 short of its 82,000 personnel target.
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Statistics show across the services there are around 10,000 troops have been medically downgraded as not fit for front line duty.
The…