In late August, The Times reported that the UK’s top military brass are floating the idea of scrapping all tanks in the country, in a bid to modernise its armed forces.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has made it clear that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may replace British troops in future warfare, claiming that the country’s enemies had already adapted to modern-day challenges.
He mentioned a soon-to-be-published Integrated Review of Foreign Policy, Defence, Security and International Development, which he said will result in a “step change” pertaining to the UK military, that will be reshaped like never before.
A RAF Reaper UAV
According to the Defence Secretary, now that “the global picture has changed”, the UK’s foes had already studied the country’s vulnerabilities and “have adapted far more quickly than us”.
During the speech, Wallace also unveiled a spate of “world-beating” systems, including a quadcopter UAV that carries a torpedo, and said that the UK army should become “nimbler” in the future.
He touted the spy drone as a vehicle “able to reach many miles from the edges of the ship”, adding, “this test bed of innovation is one we seek to embrace in the Integrated Review going forward.”
The remarks followed The Times citing unnamed sources as saying late last month that top UK military brass have mulled scrapping the entire fleet of tanks in the country, in a move aimed at modernising its armed forces, in line with the new defence review.
The sources claimed that the ministers are doubting the utility of the country’s tank fleet, which currently includes 227 Challenger 2 tanks and 388 Warrior armoured vehicles.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
