British tanks are built and designed to work through rough conditions such as heavy rain and muddy grounds. The British soldiers had to work through these conditions while focusing on other objectives during a live-action exercise held at CFB Suffield.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
The British defence minister has told the BBC that reports of a complete wind-up of the United Kingdom’s heavy armour capabilities are overstated.
However, a sizeable reduction could still put tank training at CFB Suffield at risk.
Minister Ben Wallace told reporters at the opening of a new naval, arm and air bases in Oman on the weekend that at least some tanks would remain in the country’s arsenal.
That comes as an over-arching review of military priorities is due this fall. It will likely put new focus on tactical air power and cyber security, potentially above the cost to modernize Challenger 2 tanks that were put into service in the 1990s.
“We’re going to make sure we have an armed forces fit for the 21st Century and that meets our obligations to NATO and elsewhere,” Wallace told the BBC.
“We are not scrapping all the British army’s tanks and we will make sure the ones we maintain are up to date, lethal and defendable.”
About two dozen of the U.K.’s 227 Challenger 2 tanks are stationed at Suffield for near-annual training at the sprawling southeast Alberta base that has continued since the 1970s.
Local officials have said the influx of personnel and largely British operations at the base are a key component of the local economy.
The Canadian Department of National Defence told the News that the base hosts a variety of unique training operations for domestic and allied troops.
It hosts infantry and artillery exercises, as well as biological warfare training for NATO contingents, and has a Canadian defence research facility and weapons testing range.
