Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) is facing a growing exodus as soldiers resign over fears they could face years of legal scrutiny for actions taken on the battlefield, according to a report in The Telegraph.

Several sources told the British newspaper that members of 22 SAS, the British Army’s most elite regiment, have applied for premature release amid anger over investigations into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, Syria and Northern Ireland.

The debate is not confined to Britain.

American troops could face similar concerns if political leaders fail to distinguish between legitimate investigations and politically motivated campaigns, according to John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute. 

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«I welcome timely investigations of allegations of violations,» Spencer told Fox News Digital, «but want our leaders to protect all our forces, special or not, from agenda or politicized ‘witch hunts.’»

In Australia, the case of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has become a rallying point for veterans who fear elite soldiers could face years of legal battles after serving in combat.

Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has denied allegations that he committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Earlier in April, Australian authorities charged him with five counts of murder related to his service in Afghanistan.

To many British veterans, the Australian case reinforces fears that the same trend could spread across other Western militaries, including the United States.  

British armed forces work with the U.S. military to evacuate eligible civilians and their families on Aug. 21, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan. (MoD Crown Copyright/Getty Images)

At least two SAS squadrons have been affected, with several current and former members describing the losses as a «threat to national security.» The paper did not publish the precise number of departures for security reasons.

The resignations come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government faces criticism over both defense spending and the treatment of veterans.

Britain’s armed forces have faced mounting scrutiny over their size and readiness in recent years. But the U.K. government says it is reversing that trend, reporting that total armed forces strength stood at 182,050 personnel as of Jan. 1, 2026, including 136,960 regular troops, an increase from the previous year.

The government also has pledged what it calls the largest sustained rise in defense spending since the Cold War, with military spending set to reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027, backed by an additional £5 billion this financial year and £270 billion in defense investment over the course of the current Parliament. Britain also has said it aims to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by the end of the next Parliament.

Former and current soldiers said they believe Britain’s legal system has turned against troops who were sent to fight on behalf of the government.

«If a soldier discharges their weapon, they are almost certainly going to get a knock at their door one day,» George Simm, a former regimental sergeant major of 22 SAS, told The Telegraph. «It feels like a betrayal and a break in the trust.»

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Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) is facing a growing exodus as soldiers resign over fears they could face years of legal scrutiny for actions taken on the battlefield, according to a report in The Telegraph. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

The controversy centers on ongoing investigations into British special forces operations.

A total of 242 special forces troops, including 120 still serving, are currently involved in legal inquiries costing roughly £1 million per month. Those inquiries involve operations in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Syria.

Critics say those investigations have created a culture in which soldiers fear that decisions made in combat would later lead to prosecution.

Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer and senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, told Fox News Digital the relationship between soldiers and the government has been badly damaged.

«Soldiering contains a pact between the government and those they employ to use lethal force,» Fox said. «Soldiers will take human life within the rules set for them by international law, and in return, their governments should support them.

«This has been inverted, and international law has been weaponized and exploited by our enemies to persecute our soldiers. All too often, governments are coming down on the side of those enemies, not our troops.»

Fox said it was understandable that some soldiers would no longer want to serve.

«Of course, law breaking should be punished, but we are seeing a breakdown in trust between governments and their armed forces when politicians allow troops to be hounded through the courts unjustly,» he said.

Spencer said professional militaries depend on maintaining public trust through a strong internal justice system.

«A professional military holds the trust of its society because it lives by a strict ethical code, its laws, and its rules,» Spencer told Fox News Digital. «That trust is what gives soldiers the unique authority to use lethal force in the worst conditions a human being can face.»

Spencer said allegations of wrongdoing should be investigated quickly and fairly.

«We need investigations that move quickly and fairly on any credible allegation,» he said. «If there’s real evidence of wrongdoing under the law of armed conflict or the rules of engagement, then both the military and society must act on it. That’s how you keep the trust alive.»

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American troops could face similar concerns if political leaders fail to distinguish between legitimate investigations and politically motivated campaigns, according to John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

At the same time, Spencer warned that some legal campaigns risk crossing the line into what troops perceive as politically motivated «witch hunts.»

«I’ve seen too many human rights lawyers blur the line between basic human rights and the actual law of armed conflict,» Spencer said. «They don’t always understand the application of the use of force in context or the split-second chaos of combat. When that turns into what troops call witch hunts, it eats away at morale and readiness.»

Spencer said governments have a responsibility both to investigate credible accusations and to protect troops from what he called agenda-driven campaigns.

«It’s also the duty of the government to shield the military from agenda-driven witch hunts,» he said. «A rigorous military justice system and honest self-policing are essential for an ethical force. Without them, the profession loses the very trust that lets it do its job.»

Britain’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Fox News digital that, «While it is a long-standing policy of successive governments to not comment on U.K. Special Forces, we are immensely proud of all our Armed Forces and their extraordinary contribution to keeping the U.K. safe at home and abroad.»

«We are committed to ensuring that the legal framework governing our Armed Forces reflects the practical realities of military operations — and that those who served with honor are properly protected,» he added, «Where the U.K. undertakes military action, it complies fully with U.K. and international law. We are clear that upholding those standards does not prevent our Armed Forces from conducting effective operations.»

Former British military chiefs warned in an open letter to Starmer in late 2025 that soldiers increasingly believe they must worry about «not only the enemy in front of them but the lawyer behind them.»

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To many British veterans, the Australian case reinforces fears that the same trend could spread across other Western militaries, including the United States. (Guvendemir/Getty Iamges )

«Make no mistake,» the retired generals wrote, «our closest allies are watching uneasily, and our enemies will be rubbing their hands.»

A congressional probe launched this week into the string of missing scientists was sparked by the disappearance of a former high-ranking official who oversaw some of the military’s most classified research programs, one House Republican revealed.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital in an interview that he was particularly taken aback by the disappearance of retired Air Force Gen. William Neil McCasland, who vanished in February from his Albuquerque, New Mexico home. His phone and prescription glasses were left behind. 

The Missouri Republican said his staff was already working to contact McCasland, who he described as the «UFO general» due to his deep expertise, about a separate congressional investigation prior to his disappearance.

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«He was on our list to talk to, and he disappeared, so that kind of piqued our interest,» Burlison detailed.

McCasland is one of the 11 individuals working in nuclear or rocket technology who have died or vanished under mysterious circumstances since 2022. Some, including McCasland, have ties to UFO research. 

The astronautical engineer’s hiking boots, wallet and a .38‑caliber revolver were reported as missing, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico.

Though federal officials have not identified a connection between the missing scientists, their shared field and potential access to sensitive research have sparked growing concern.

Asked by Fox News Digital about whether he suspects foul play is involved in McCasland’s disappearance, Burlison said, «I’m not going to jump to that conclusion, but it’s certainly suspicious.»

«How many people walk out their front door without their phone, their wallet, their keys, or anything?» Burlison added. «I don’t go anywhere without my phone. I don’t even mow the lawn without my phone.»

Rep. Eric Burlison participated in a Republican Study Committee news conference unveiling its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal at the U.S. Capitol on March 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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«So it’s just really, really strange that in about a five-month period of time, four or five people walked out their front door and never returned, and were all doing advanced aerospace research,» Burlison said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Burlison, who helms the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, opened an investigation into the missing scientists on Monday.

«I want them to determine if there’s any kind of foul play,» Burlison said, referring to the Trump administration. 

The duo sent letters to the FBI, the Department of War, NASA and the Department of Energy requesting more information about Americans who have allegedly vanished. They have also asked for a staff-level briefing by April 27 — giving them only a week to prepare.

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee said the panel will be releasing updates as the investigation proceeds.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, told «Fox & Friends Weekend» that he had sent letters to the leaders of several government agencies seeking information related to the mysterious deaths and disappearances of scientists in recent years. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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NASA said Monday that it would convene an interagency effort to probe the missing scientists, but cautioned that it had yet to identify any threats.

«At this time, nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat,» NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens wrote on X. «The agency is committed to transparency and will provide more information as it becomes available.»

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also said that Trump is «actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI» to review the cases and identify any potential connections.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum indicated Monday that she would call for explanations regarding what U.S. and Mexican officials were doing when they died due to a car accident in Mexico.

Sheinbaum said her government would investigate the incident to ensure no laws were broken after the deaths on Sunday, adding that state governments must have authorization from Mexico’s federal government to collaborate with U.S. and other foreign entities «as established by the Constitution,» according to The Associated Press.

The deadly incident, which killed two U.S. embassy personnel and two individuals with the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI), occurred after a drug-related operation in Mexico.

«It was not an operation that the security cabinet was aware of,» Sheinbaum said, according to the AP. «We were not informed; it was a decision by the Chihuahua government.»

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In a statement issued Sunday, César Jáuregui Moreno, the Chihuahua state attorney general, announced the deaths «of the members of the State Investigation Agency, as well as two instructor officers from the United States Embassy, ​​who died in an accident while returning from the operation to destroy clandestine laboratories in the municipality of Morelos,» according to an English translation.

The attorney general indicated in another statement that there were no foreign agents involved in the operation and that it was not connected to the accident.

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«In order to avoid speculation and misunderstandings surrounding the operation that led to the discovery of a drug lab in the community of El Pinal, in the Sierra de Chihuahua, the Attorney General of the State, César Jáuregui Moreno, specified that only elements of the State Investigation Agency (AEI) and the Mexican Army participated in it,» the April 20 statement said, according to an English translation.

«With the above, he rules out the intervention of foreign elements, however, he specified that instructors from the United States were in the state and in a neighboring community, but for other purposes, such as teaching in the handling of drones,» the office said. «He stated that around 80 officers participated in the seizure of the drug lab, 40 of them from the AEI and another 40 from the Secretariat of National Defense (DEFENSA).»

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Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum talks on stage next to US President Donald Trump during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Jia Haocheng / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Jáuregui Moreno said AEI Director Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes «met with instructors from the U.S. Embassy, ​​who were in Polanco giving a course on drone operation» and «they had a flight on Sunday morning from the city of Chihuahua and asked for assistance to travel along with the convoy in which the Director was traveling»

«They got into the vehicle at approximately two in the morning, and suffered the accident in which they lost their lives when it went off the road into one of the ravines in the area,» Jáuregui Moreno said, also noting «there was never any involvement of any foreign agent in El Pinal.»

He noted there «were no U.S. agents in the operation to secure the narco-lab,» according to the AP.

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The outlet reported that the Mexican Security Cabinet confirmed that the army and state prosecutor’s office executed a joint effort over the weekend in Chihuahua targeting drug labs in the same place, Morelos.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in part of a Sunday post on X, «We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident.»

«We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones. This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities. It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people,» he added.

Ronald Johnson, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S ambassador to Mexico, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations committee nomination hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 13, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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The U.S. State Department did not provide further comment to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report