Six thousand military vehicles vital to the British Army's ability to operate have been removed from service due to safety issues with the bolts holding them together. Use of the MAN support vehicles, used to transport troops and goods in the UK and abroad, has been suspended after concerns were raised about bolts on a propeller shaft.
It comes days after it was revealed that the Army had paused the use of its Ajax armored vehicles after soldiers became unwell from noise and vibration during an exercise. A defense source told the Daily Express that the “laughable” grounding of the fleet was symptomatic of a force that talked about fighting large-scale wars but was unable to complete simple tasks in an efficient manner. They said: “We (the British Army) really are on our ass, aren't we?
“We talk about deploying and fighting Russia, but we are currently canceling exercises 10 minutes down the road on Salisbury Plain because of a few bolts. It is laughable.”
Another source reported the disruption caused to regiments across the country, which had been forced to amend or cancel training due to the disruption.
It is understood that every single truck will need to undergo a safety check before it can be used again.
The ability of the British military to sustain itself has been brought into stark focus in recent years, with the war in Ukraine demonstrating vividly the importance of logistics in warfare.
The Strategic Defense Review (SDR), published earlier this year, laid out several steps to enhance the military's ability to sustain troops in theater engaged in conventional warfare, but senior leaders have since expressed doubts over the deliverability of the report's recommendations.
The grounding of the fleet is the latest embarrassment for the MOD, who have this week faced serious questions over the decision to allow troops to operate in an armored vehicle with a history of causing serious injury.
A recent exercise left 31 soldiers who spent 10 to 15 hours inside the vehicle needing urgent attention and led to a pause in the vehicle's use.
Defense minister Luke Pollard is said to have been left furious after senior Army chiefs failed to properly brief him on concerns about the Ajax platform, a £6.3 billion program that was due to enter service in 2019.
Ben Obese-Jecty, a Conservative MP and veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the Times: “This is yet another example of how the army's sub-standard vehicle fleet is leaving our soldiers without serviceable and safe kit.
“Between the Ajax disaster and our 60-year-old 432 fleet, to find out our SV [support vehicle] fleet is now grounded too for safety concerns illustrates how badly the army is in need of investment, not cuts.
“The billions in in-year savings this government is forcing the Ministry of Defense to make have real-world consequences. We will see more of these issues emerge as the government's penny-pinching approach takes effect, and their decision to prioritize welfare over defence.”
An MoD spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our personnel is our utmost priority. A number of MAN military support vehicles have been affected by a minor mechanical fault, which is being quickly rectified. There are no wider underlying safety concerns with the vehicle.
“On the recommendation of the Defense Safety Authority, we have paused using the vehicles while action is taken to replace the affected parts. With the implementation of specified safety checks and risk assessments, some vehicles can continue to be used within certain limitations.”