Vergennes
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Recent conflicts all over the world showed us the usefulness of heavy armors,even used in non conventional warfare.
Reason the Dutch decided to save their last Leo2s,France will bring back 25 Leclercs from reserve (Bring total in service to 225) and Germany will increase its tank fleet by 100 to 328. Slowly but surely,it's doing a coming back.
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Army chiefs are planning to slash the number of frontline tanks by up to a third, leaving Britain with fewer tanks than Serbia.
Under the plan, one of the army’s three tank regiments will see all its 56 Challenger 2s replaced with Ajax fighting vehicles. The cut would leave the army with only about 40 more tanks than traditionally neutral Switzerland. At the other end of the scale, Russia has 2,700 tanks.
The plan, due to be announced in coming months, has alarmed serving and retired commanders and comes as Russia introduces the T-14 Armata — a new generation of tank that some experts believe has the firepower to defeat any British or American equivalent.
Colonel Bob Stewart, who led British forces in Bosnia, said: “You should only reduce your main battle tank numbers with great caution. Reducing your tank strength may well be misconstrued by our potential opponents and be perceived as weakness in our will to properly defend our country.”
The Ministry of Defence has signed a £3.5bn deal with the US defence company General Dynamics for nearly 600 Ajax vehicles but industry sources have reportedly highlighted their vulnerability to heavy artillery.
With a top speed of 44mph, the 38-ton Ajax is faster than the 62-ton Challenger 2 and is designed for reconnaissance and for quickly penetrating deep into enemy territory.
But it is more lightly armoured and has far less firepower, with a 44mm gun, compared with the Challenger 2’s 120mm long-range gun.
The move would result in the army’s total number of Challenger 2 tanks dropping from 227 to about 170. Of these, some 112 will be on the front line with the two remaining tank regiments; the remainder will be used for training in the UK and Canada. In contrast, Germany has 306 main battle tanks, France 200, Poland 971, Romania 437 and Serbia 212.
The Sunday Times understands that senior commanders are exploring the possibility that some of the culled tanks could be redeployed to reserve units.
The Armata was described by a senior army intelligence officer in a document leaked earlier this month as “the most revolutionary step change in tank design in the last half century”.
It has a powerful 125mm gun and “reactive armour” to destroy incoming rockets and missiles.
The MoD said: “The Challenger 2 fleet is due to have a £700m life extension programme that will ensure capability until 2035. We are also investing in the . . . multi-role Ajax armoured vehicle.”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/army-to-slash-frontline-tanks-bklxlvt79
Recent conflicts all over the world showed us the usefulness of heavy armors,even used in non conventional warfare.
Reason the Dutch decided to save their last Leo2s,France will bring back 25 Leclercs from reserve (Bring total in service to 225) and Germany will increase its tank fleet by 100 to 328. Slowly but surely,it's doing a coming back.
-
Army chiefs are planning to slash the number of frontline tanks by up to a third, leaving Britain with fewer tanks than Serbia.
Under the plan, one of the army’s three tank regiments will see all its 56 Challenger 2s replaced with Ajax fighting vehicles. The cut would leave the army with only about 40 more tanks than traditionally neutral Switzerland. At the other end of the scale, Russia has 2,700 tanks.
The plan, due to be announced in coming months, has alarmed serving and retired commanders and comes as Russia introduces the T-14 Armata — a new generation of tank that some experts believe has the firepower to defeat any British or American equivalent.
Colonel Bob Stewart, who led British forces in Bosnia, said: “You should only reduce your main battle tank numbers with great caution. Reducing your tank strength may well be misconstrued by our potential opponents and be perceived as weakness in our will to properly defend our country.”
The Ministry of Defence has signed a £3.5bn deal with the US defence company General Dynamics for nearly 600 Ajax vehicles but industry sources have reportedly highlighted their vulnerability to heavy artillery.
With a top speed of 44mph, the 38-ton Ajax is faster than the 62-ton Challenger 2 and is designed for reconnaissance and for quickly penetrating deep into enemy territory.
But it is more lightly armoured and has far less firepower, with a 44mm gun, compared with the Challenger 2’s 120mm long-range gun.
The move would result in the army’s total number of Challenger 2 tanks dropping from 227 to about 170. Of these, some 112 will be on the front line with the two remaining tank regiments; the remainder will be used for training in the UK and Canada. In contrast, Germany has 306 main battle tanks, France 200, Poland 971, Romania 437 and Serbia 212.
The Sunday Times understands that senior commanders are exploring the possibility that some of the culled tanks could be redeployed to reserve units.
The Armata was described by a senior army intelligence officer in a document leaked earlier this month as “the most revolutionary step change in tank design in the last half century”.
It has a powerful 125mm gun and “reactive armour” to destroy incoming rockets and missiles.
The MoD said: “The Challenger 2 fleet is due to have a £700m life extension programme that will ensure capability until 2035. We are also investing in the . . . multi-role Ajax armoured vehicle.”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/army-to-slash-frontline-tanks-bklxlvt79
