Britain’s ‘laughably’ small tank fleet would be wiped out in two weeks by Putin’s forces in a war with Russia, ex-senior officer warns

Britain’s ‘laughably’ small tank fleet could be worn out in two weeks by Vladimir Putin’s forces in a conflict with Russia, an ex-senior officer has warned.

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Crawford, who served within the military for 20 years, added that the US now not noticed the UK as a ‘Tier One army energy’ because of the precarious nature of its Armed Forces.

He informed The Telegraph  that the brand new Challenger 3, a tank set to reach in 2030, was a ‘first rate automobile’ however that not sufficient had been because of be constructed.

‘We’re at the moment planning to acquire solely 148 of them, which is embarrassingly few if you do not forget that on the peak of the Chilly Struggle, not that way back, the British Military’s Royal Armoured Corps may hope to area round 900 MBTs (principal battle tanks),’ he mentioned.

Writing within the UK Defence Journal, Lt Col Crawford, who’s now a defence analyst, added that this quantity was solely sufficient to help two armoured regiments and reserve and coaching automobiles. 

He identified that Ukraine had misplaced round 3,000 tanks in roughly two years which means that Britain’s quota of automobiles may solely final a matter of weeks. 

He mentioned: ‘If there’s one lesson to return out of the present battle in Ukraine it is that you simply want a number of stuff, to make use of the right technical time period, and clearly 148 tanks ain’t going to chop it.’ 

The previous senior officer’s stern warning comes after Normal Sir Richard Shirreff mentioned that Britain won’t have the ability to ship a military of 5,000 troops into the sphere because of damaging shortages.

He informed BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme that ten years of cuts had ‘decimated’ the UK’s Armed Forces which, as just lately as 1997, may have fielded a war-fighting brigade of 20,000 troopers.

‘Ammunition is in essential quick provide,’ the previous Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe added. ‘Amongst different issues, after all, the underside of the barrel has been scraped to offer all the pieces that may go to Ukraine however it must be changed.’

The Ministry of Defence has been approached for remark. 

Final month, an ex-general warned that Putin may pound Britain with dozens of the identical missiles he is utilizing to blitz Ukraine – and there is nothing the UK may do to cease them.

The weapons would have the capability to achieve Britain in simply 90 minutes, travelling at speeds of 600mph, in response to Normal Sir Richard Barrons.

The retired British Military officer estimated that an assault would contain Russia firing over the missiles in waves of 60 to 90 at a time.

Chatting with The Solar, Normal Barrons warned that the UK would at the moment be unable to fend off such an onslaught.

Vladimir Putin pictured in Beijing, China, on Might 16. Lt Col Crawford identified that Ukraine had misplaced round 3,000 tanks by the hands of Russia  in roughly two years which means that Britain’s quota of automobiles may solely final a matter of weeks

A Russian Yars missile pictured being launched in October 2022. Putin may pound Britain with dozens of the identical missiles he is utilizing to blitz Ukraine – and there is nothing the UK may do to cease them, an ex-general has claimed

The weapons would have the capability to achieve Britain in simply 90 minutes, travelling at speeds of 600mph, in response to Normal Sir Richard Barrons (pictured)

He mentioned: ‘The UK doesn’t have the air and missile defence that Ukraine has, for now. We have not wanted it.

‘The kind of missiles that fall on Kyiv may fall on London. And Kyiv’s air defences are approach, approach higher.

‘Even a fairly aged Russian cruise missile, I’ll cite Kh-101 launched from an plane over western Russia, arrives in London 90 minutes later with a 500 kilogram explosive warhead and an accuracy of two meters. So choose your door in Downing Avenue.’