The proposals have led senior officers to question whether
it is “a risk too far” to axe more than 3,000
vehicles as part of government enforced cuts under the
Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The proposed cuts mean that the country which invented
the tank has signalled it is to surrender almost a century’s
experience of fighting armoured warfare.
The move also means that the British Ministry of Defence
will once again throw away billions of pounds in equipment
after flushing away £3.6 billion on the new Nimrod
reconnaissance aircraft along with millions on axing aircraft
carriers and Harrier jets.
Under the plans the 400 strong fleet of Challenger 2
main battle tanks, that played a key role throughout the
Iraq campaign, could be reduced to as little as little
as 50 tanks, enough to equip just one regiment.
Within the next 18 months 1,400 armoured personnel carriers
along with 1,200 CVRT light tanks will be sold off or
scrapped. Hundreds of Warriors are to be put in storage
with the force reduced from 800 to a maximum of 270 vehicles
that will be upgraded in £800 million programme.
