"British army reduces its armed forces to just one tank ..." Topic

…regiment despite the tensions in Ukraine.

"The British Army has been reduced to just one single tank regiment, despite fears that the move might be premature amid growing tensions in eastern Ukraine. A ceremony on Saturday, August 2, 2014, morning will mark the merger of Britain's last two tank regiments as part of a cost-cutting exercise by the British Ministry of Defence.

The event will see current and former soldiers gather in Wiltshire's Aliwol Barracks to see the joining together of 1 Royal Tank Regiment and 2 Royal Tank Regiment to become the newly-formed Royal Tank Regiment.

The First Royal Tank Regiment has served in Afghanistan, mounted in several different variants of the British Army's new fleet of Protected Patrol Vehicles. Tankies once again demonstrated their adaptability and utility when handling these vehicles in difficult terrain, protecting the Afghan people in the face of a determined enemy…"

Full article here
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Amicalement
Armand

Misleading old boy,

sadly we now have only One Royal Tank Regiment, however we still have a number of CII equipped Cavalry regiments,

Tally Ho!

Hi Nick

Reporters eh? What are they like…

Mind you, with the way British governments intend to keep cutting the army it's will probably only be a few more years before it is true.

Let's just hope we do not need to fight an enemy with large numbers of tanks and MICVs in the near future…

Barrie
TimeCast

Look on the bright side – the way we're maintaining our sea defences these days, the English channel can only get wider…. ;-)

That's one TANK, that's it. The poor chap in front signed for it.

Any insiders know if one of their squadrons is adopting the 'Chinese Eye' emblem of 4 RTR? it would be a shame for tradition to die out.

You guys better take good care of that tank. It's the only one you've got.

I fondly recall during the 1st Gulf War a US Army Sargeant commenting to me " Huh! You Limeys with your 2 planes, 3 tanks & 50 guys".

"All we need mate!" I retorted – he went very quite after that….

Ha Ha Gloria, your Flanders and Swan name made me laugh out loud

LOL Gloria !!!!

"British army reduces its armed forces to just one tank …"

I thought my Limey bros we're only going to have one MBT in their entire army ?!?!? … It seems to be a trend in NATO and some other countries. IIRC, the Dutch mothballed all their MBTs and Latvia has only 3 MBTs in their entire army … Regardless only 1 RTR is a bit thin … IMO … But good to know they still have a few ACRs …

I fondly recall during the 1st Gulf War a US Army Sargeant commenting to me " Huh! You Limeys with your 2 planes, 3 tanks & 50 guys".

"All we need mate!" I retorted – he went very quite after that….

*My* return comment would have been "yeah, because you tend to yell for the Americans if you get in trouble, and we bring LOTS of toys to the party!"

Unlike for example Ukraine Latvia and the other Baltic states inherited next to no Soviet military equipment and recovering from 50 years of Soviet occupation and misrule left few resources to spend on rebuildning the armed forces. So they had to make do with what could be bought on the cheap or what was given to them free of charge. (For example the Swedes transfered arms and equipment that had belonged to 30 disbanded Swedish infantry battalions.)

MBT have simply been too expensive for the Lativans and the money would probably be better spent on other equipment such as modern AT-Missiles and Manpads.

*My* return comment would have been "yeah, because you tend to yell for the Americans if you get in trouble, and we bring LOTS of toys to the party!"

you're lucky we brought any toys to your party, you can do it on your own in future.

MBT have simply been too expensive for the Lativans and the money would probably be better spent on other equipment such as modern AT-Missiles and Manpads.

Really … I never thought of that ?!?!?

you're lucky we brought any toys to your party, you can do it on your own in future.

Hopefully there won't be another time … With modern tech becoming too expensive and many countries downsiziing their forces … if there is a next time it will take a number of countries' joint efforts to make a usable force …

there is a next time it will take a number of countries' joint efforts to make a usable force …

Already happening big time in NATO. Some of the smaller countries' armies are reduced to incomplete brigades that require bolstering from other countries to be even remotely functional. This includes basic concepts such as artillery, intelligence and armour.

A lot of small countries operational medium artillery for example is reduced to 12-18 SPGs and that's it! The rest is 81mm mortars!

Tank forces are often non-exist or at most 20-30 serviceable with maybe up to 100 rotting in open air "storage."

People talk about defence spending in Europe but the truth is most of the money spent in defence is about benefits ala housing and pensions and not maintaining a credible defence.

It seems the land battle race has the same outcome as the naval race did some 100 years ago:

Bankrupting smaller countries and leaving only a few big players able to compete due to spiralling costs and ever-increasing technology.

Of course, in places like China and the US, military spending essentially helps prop up the economic system by creating a massive government employment program and spending hole.

Weasel-- I'm thinking that's not a bug, that's a feature.

yeah, that's working as designed for good or ill

Yes, as I said Thomas, lets hope there is isn't a next time … much of NATO will have to drive to the battlefield in taxis, like the French in WWI … If they have to deploy anywhere they can't drive … all bets are off.

Didn't the Romans reduce their legions right before the great Germanic invasions began in the middle of the 5th cent.?

Dan

you're lucky we brought any toys to your party, you can do it on your own in future.

No way, then who would we trade with to get beer around here?!?

On a less flippant note, I pray there never is a 'next time', but God seems to have me stifled/set to ignore…

Indeed …

If the Russians invade, we'll wait until they go bankrupt trying to police all of Belgium or whatever.

Luckily, unless aliens suddenly show up, we don't have in hordes of Germans waiting in the wings. Just a bunch of trade partners who have far too much to lose by going to war with their biggest markets.

Which, of course, won't stop the big nations from bullying the smaller, but then no amount of MBTs in the other big nations will stop that if said big nations aren't willing to risk WWIII to protect the little ones.