Head of UK Armed Forces bemoans lack of war ready ships and tanks amid lowest figures in modern age

A Defence Committee meeting in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon heard the UK has just 40 tanks and roughly a dozen frigates and destroyers ready for war. With the Russian-Ukrainian conflict continuing, military figures are urging for larger stockpiles.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), voiced his displeasure at the figures, but insisted that the UK is still a major Nato contributor. He added Britain is ‘investing like crazy’ in armoured vehicles – available at the end of the decade.

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He said at the meeting: ‘We were at 19 frigates and destroyers, which we subsequently reduced that to 17 because some of those ships were very expensive.

'You've then got some in maintenance and refit so it is probably 11 or 12 which are available to go out on operations. It is true across the Armed Forces, we need to have deeper stockpiles.

‘So I wouldn't say I was happy.' According to the Daily Mail, Vladimir Putin’s army is estimated to have lost over 2,000 tanks in the Ukrainian war – but holds many in reserve.

The Army is at its smallest sine Napoleonic times, largely due to shortages of tanks and armoured vehicles. Attendees at the meeting heard the UK has 200 tanks, but only 40 are combat ready.

Conservative MP Mark Francois told the Daily Mail: ‘It was clear from the CDS's evidence that Armed Forces would currently struggle to fight a war with Russia… It is a fantasy to suggest we could provide a warfighting division to Nato.'