UK tank shortage to last another 4 years

UK tank shortage to last another 4 years as under 100 Challenger 2s are considered to be ‘battle ready’

•  Fewer than 100 of the UK’s 227 Challenger 2 tanks are considered ‘battle ready’
•  Last night MPs attacked the lack of urgency surrounding the UK’s tank stocks
•  There are also no plans to repair scores of Challenger 2s as an interim measure

Britain faces at least another four years of tank shortages after officials ruled out repairing older vehicles to meet the threat of Vladimir Putin.

Of the UK’s fleet of 227 Challenger 2 tanks, fewer than 100 are considered ‘battle ready’ and 14 of these have been gifted to Ukraine.

Last night MPs attacked the lack of urgency surrounding the UK’s tank stocks, with no improvement likely before 2027. That is when the first batch of tanks which will replace the ageing Challenger 2 enter service.

But there are no plans to repair scores of Challenger 2s as an interim measure. Former Armed Forces minister Mark Francois told the Mail: ‘You cannot deter Putin if you can’t even get out of the tank park.

‘We need to stop contemplating our navels and bring most of the Challenger 2s up to high readiness in months, not years.

Britain’s shrinking tank fleet was discussed yesterday by the Commons’ defence select committee as part of a review of equipment and weapons stocks

‘The Challenger 3 will not be available until 2027. With a war under way in Ukraine, we cannot possibly wait that long.’ 

The upgraded Challenger 3 should deliver significantly higher performance than its predecessor. It will pair the hull of a Challenger 2 with a newly designed turret and main gun. 

Just how many Challenger 3s will be introduced is currently the subject of a Ministry of Defence review.

Yesterday, officials gave their strongest hint yet that the current order of 148 will be increased. The conflict in Ukraine has turned conventional wisdom about the obsolescence of the tank on its head.

For decades the MoD has slashed tank numbers – from 1,200 in 1990 to 227 in 2023 – in favour of lighter, more mobile vehicles suited to expeditionary warfare. Now tanks are again considered an essential weapon in a ground conflict.

Britain’s shrinking tank fleet was discussed yesterday by the Commons’ defence select committee as part of a review of equipment and weapons stocks. 

Officials refused to disclose precisely how many Challenger 2s are currently ‘battle-ready’, claiming the figure was sensitive to national security.

But Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, the deputy chief of the defence staff, denied reports the 14 tanks gifted to Ukraine represented ‘25 to 30 per cent of operational assets’.

Of the UK’s fleet of 227 Challenger 2 tanks, fewer than 100 are considered ‘battle ready’ and 14 of these have been gifted to Ukraine

Officials revealed high inflation figures were reducing the MoD’s spending capability on new equipment.

The MoD’s record of procuring new equipment and weaponry also came under fire. It emerged just three of 52 major projects are graded as ‘green’ –which means they are on schedule and on budget.

Last night the MoD said: ‘We have been clear on the need for a threat-led approach and, as laid out by the Defence Secretary, we will review the number of Challenger 3 tanks to consider whether the lessons of Ukraine suggest we need a larger fleet.

‘The 2021 Integrated Review reinforced plans to upgrade our Main Battle Tanks to ensure the Challenger 3 will become one of the most protected and most lethal in Europe.’

Source: Read Full Article