We are in the midst of an enormous modernisation programme which will transform the British Army into a state-of-the-art fighting force equipped with the latest vehicles, informed by coherent information systems and networks, and employing the very best people.
The British Army is currently managing one of the largest military modernisation projects in the World. Concurrently, we are looking to upgrade Challenger 2 and Warrior and introducing the Ajax and Boxer families of vehicles.
At the ongoing International Armoured Vehicles Conference (IAV21), the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Christopher Tickell CBE, restated our commitment to armoured vehicles.
‘Our armoured forces will remain central to our ability to win in the close battle. Modernised platforms with enhanced lethality, sensors and connectivity will deliver surprise and shock action on enemy positions, seizing and retaining the initiative and capitalising on fleeting opportunities to keep the adversary off balance. They will continue to be at the heart of our land contribution to NATO, continuing to contribute to modern deterrence through deployments in Europe. They will operate as part of increasingly sophisticated multi-domain combined arms manoeuvre, augmented more and more with remote autonomous systems.’
These projects have another benefit, they represent huge investment in UK industry. Moreover, that investment is often made in parts of the country where our industrial expertise is strongest and in areas which are the focus of the government’s ‘levelling-up’ policy.
Ajax is constructed in Wales for example, and Boxer will be built in Telford and Stockport. Importantly, these factories depend on dozens of other British companies, from all four corners of the nation, to build our new fleets.
The British Army defends the nation and invests in it too.