The Army is facing ‘humiliation’ over plans to drop Britain’s pledge to Nato that it will provide an armoured division of tanks and troops.
Ministers are locked in talks with the alliance over what it wants this country to focus on, in terms of its military capabilities.
In part due to the Army’s manning and equipment issues, Nato has apparently told Britain to focus on nuclear, maritime and expeditionary warfare instead.
Last night, Army sources told the Mail they feared dropping the armoured division pledge would lead to further reductions in its size. The Army has just 70,000 full-time soldiers and this figure could fall to 69,000 next year.
UK tank numbers have also collapsed. Defence chiefs have invested £420 million to build 148 Challenger 3 tanks, described by sources as ‘an appalling return on such a high investment’.
But they have bought only 60 defence aide suites to protect the tanks, indicating how many would be sent to the frontline.
Today, an armoured division requires at least 130 tanks and as many as 15,000 troops.
The Royal United Services Institute recently described the UK’s armoured division pledge to Nato as ‘fanciful’.
A source said: ‘Nobody in Nato talks about the UK providing an armoured division any more, because it has so few troops and tanks. It would be humiliating for the Army.’
Last night the Ministry of Defence said: ‘This is pure speculation. The Government is committed to a Nato-first approach.’