British army would be ‘outgunned’ in major conflict – report

The British army would find itself ‘outgunned’ in a major conflict, according to a highly critical report by UK lawmakers published on Sunday. [Shutterstock/Bumble Dee]

The British army would find itself ‘outgunned’ in a major conflict, according to a highly critical report by UK lawmakers published on Sunday.

The ‘Obsolescent and Outgunned’ report by the House of Commons defence committee said that the dwindling number of Armoured Fighting Vehicles would put UK forces at ‘serious risk’ in conflict. The number of UK battle tanks has fallen from 1,200 in 1990 to 227, a decline which the lawmakers blamed on bureaucratic ‘uncertainty’.

Last autumn, the UK government promised to increase defence spending by £4 billion per year between now and 2025.

The government’s Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, which is expected to feature more new commitments for the armed forces, will be set out by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday. (Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com)

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