Fifth report: Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army’s armoured vehicle capability
Select Committee
Defence Committee
HC 659
14 March 2021
Government response
First Special Report: Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army’s armoured vehicle capability: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2019–21 · published 21 May 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
8
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 42
Despite having spent around 50% of the allocated budget (£800 million), the programme has yet...
Conclusion
Despite having spent around 50% of the allocated budget (£800 million), the programme has yet to place a manufacturing contract. The programme has a current in-service date of 2024 (originally planned for 2017) and is some £227 million over budget. …
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Government Response Summary
The government notes the committee’s concerns regarding the Warrior CSP's failures, attributing them to technical challenges. It states that the Warrior upgrade has been cancelled as part of the Integrated Review and that a programme of acquisition reform, with new systems for lesson identification and checks and balances, is addressing these issues for future programmes.
Ministry of Defence
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11
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 50
The first vehicles were originally due to be delivered to the British Army in April...
Conclusion
The first vehicles were originally due to be delivered to the British Army in April 2017, however this was delayed. In May 2020 it emerged that the delivery of the first batch of Ajax vehicles was to be delayed further …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged concerns about AJAX delivery delays, explaining that technical challenges related to digitisation, system complexity, and 40mm weapon integration are being collaboratively addressed with the Prime Contractor.
Ministry of Defence
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21
Conclusion
Acknowledged
It is alarming that for at least the next several years UK armoured forces may...
Conclusion
It is alarming that for at least the next several years UK armoured forces may find themselves overmatched by their most challenging peer adversary. During the Cold War, the British Army and its NATO counterparts sought to offset the numerical …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the concept of overmatch but asserts it is not simply quantity versus quantity, outlining its modernization program to ensure the Army can overmatch adversaries across the battlespace and deal with new threats.
Ministry of Defence
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