British tanks ‘no match’ for the Russians

Depleted fleet ‘obsolescent and outgunned’ after series of botched procurement programmes, says Ellwood

RUSSIA outguns Britain in tanks because “bureaucratic procrastination” has left it facing “mass obsolescence”, the defence committee has warned.

An “artillery duel” between a British and Russian division is “likely to end one way – and not necessarily to the British advantage”, says a report by the House of Commons body. This is due to “military indecision, financial mismanagement and general ineptitude” concerning attempts to re-equip the Army over the past two decades.

The report entitled Obsolescent and Outgunned depicts a series of botched procurement programmes depleting the armoured fighting vehicle.

The committee said: “It is alarming that for at least the next several years, UK armoured forces may find themselves overmatched by their most challenging peer adversary.

“Were the British Army to have to fight a peer adversary – a euphemism for Russia – in eastern Europe in the next few years, whilst our soldiers would undoubtedly remain amongst the finest in the world, they would, disgracefully, be forced to go into battle in a combination of obsolescent or even obsolete armoured vehicles, most of them at least 30 years old or more, with poor mechanical reliability, very heavily outgunned by more modern missile and artillery systems and chronically lacking in adequate air defence.”

Tobias Ellwood, committee chairman, said the Ministry of Defence has allowed tank capability “to atrophy at an astounding and alarming rate”. He added: “This severe and sustained erosion of our military capabilities... will have a profound and potentially devastating impact on our ability to respond to threats from adversaries.

“Whilst the defence landscape is certainly shifting, traditional warfare remains a very real and frightening possibility, and one for which we must be fully prepared.” The criticism comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to set out on Tuesday the results of the Government’s integrated review of foreign, defence, security and development policy.

It is expected to shift away from “industrial age” capabilities – like heavy armour – towards cyber and space.

However, the committee said the Army needs to regain its “credibility” as it lacks armoured capability to make an “effective contribution” to Nato.

Even under the Ministry of Defence’s current plans, it said the Army is four years away from being able to field a “warfighting division”, which would still be “hopelessly under-equipped” and “denuded” of a third combat brigade. There are still some vehicles dating back to the early 1960s.

The report also criticised the MoD for a series of “overly ambitious” equipment projects which were reliant on developing technologies, resulting in cancellations and delay.

In contrast, it highlighted investment by the Russian military in modern missile and rocket systems, which in 2014 were able to obliterate a Ukrainian formation within “a matter of minutes”.

It said the Ministry of Defence needed to urgently address its shortfalls in artillery, air defence and anti-drone capabilities.

The ministry said: “We thank the defence committee for their report and acknowledge their recommendations as we look to improve the management of our large and complex equipment programmes.

“Aided by the substantial £24billion settlement for defence, the integrated review will provide resources to deliver an upgraded, digitised and networked armoured force to meet future threats.”