6,000 UK Army vehicles grounded over safety fears in latest MoD humiliation | UK | News
6,000 military vehicles, which are vital to the British Army’s ability to operate, have been taken out of service due to security problems in the bolts holding them together. The use of MAN support vehicles used to transport troops and goods in the UK and abroad has been suspended after concerns were raised about bolts on the propeller shaft.
This comes days after it was revealed that the Army had paused the use of Ajax armored vehicles after soldiers became ill due to noise and vibration during the exercise. A defense source told the Daily Express that the “ridiculous” stranding of the fleet was symptomatic of a force that talked about large-scale warfare but was unable to complete simple tasks efficiently. They said: “We (the British Army) are really on our asses, aren’t we?
“We talk about deploying and fighting Russia, but we’re currently canceling exercises 10 minutes down the road on Salisbury Plain because of a few bolts. It’s ridiculous.”
Another source reported that regiments across the country were forced to modify or cancel training due to the disruption.
It is understood that each truck will need to pass a safety check before being used again.
The British army’s ability to sustain itself has been brought into sharp focus in recent years, with the war in Ukraine bringing into vivid relief the importance of logistics in war.
The Strategic Defense Review (SDR), released earlier this year, laid out several steps to improve the military’s ability to sustain troops operating in conventional warfare, but senior leaders have since expressed doubts about implementing the report’s recommendations.
The grounding of the squadron is the latest embarrassment for the MOD, which this week faced serious questions over its decision to allow troops to operate in an armored vehicle with a history of causing serious injuries.
A recent exercise resulted in 31 soldiers who spent 10 to 15 hours in the vehicle requiring necessary maintenance, leading to the discontinuation of use of the vehicle.
Defense secretary Luke Pollard is said to be furious that senior Army commanders failed to properly brief him on concerns about the Ajax platform, a £6.3bn program set to enter service in 2019.
Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP and veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: Times: “This is another example of how the military’s substandard vehicle fleet leaves our soldiers without useful and safe kit.
“Between the Ajax disaster and our 60-year-old 432 fleet to learn our SV [support vehicle] The fact that the fleet is now grounded due to security concerns shows how much the army needs investment, not cuts.
“The billions of dollars of savings this government has forced the Department of Defense to make over the year have real-world consequences. As the government’s money-saving approach takes effect and the decision to prioritize prosperity over defense emerges, we will see more of these problems emerge.”
A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “The safety and welfare of our personnel is our top priority. A number of MAN military support vehicles have been affected by a minor mechanical fault which is being rectified quickly. There are no wider underlying safety concerns with the vehicle.”
“On the advice of the Defense Security Authority, we have suspended the use of the vehicles while action is taken to replace the affected parts. Some vehicles may continue to be used with certain restrictions, with the implementation of specified safety controls and risk assessments.”
