§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tanks the British Army had at its disposal in(a) 1967, (b) 1970, (c) 1980, (d) 1990 and (e) currently. [14004]
§ Mr. SoamesDetails of Army tank holdings are not available in the form requested across the period concerned.
Holdings of main battle tanks, excluding armoured reconnaissance vehicles and armoured vehicles Royal Engineers for the years 1967, 1970, 1980, 1990, and currently total 694, 658, 640, 699, and 388 respectively.
These figures exclude tanks held by training and research establishments, in store as the war maintenance reserve or awaiting disposal.
The size of the tank force has reduced sharply since the end of the cold war as the threat of massive conventional attack on our continental allies has all but disappeared and our emphasis has shifted towards rapid deployment in response to local or regional crises. However, the smaller tank force today benefits from the greater military effectiveness of the modern Challenger 1 tanks now in service and will be enhanced still further by the introduction to regimental service of Challenger 2.