'Dear god!': Shocked Nick Ferrari reacts to the state of the UK's 'vulnerable' military system

7 February 2023, 10:28

Nick Ferrari speaks on the state of the UK's military

Madeleine Wilson

By Madeleine Wilson

Nick Ferrari told listeners that British tanks "will go down from 1200 to 134" in 30 years after sending more to Ukraine.

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast said to listeners that whilst people say it's the "most vulnerable" the UK's military has been since the 1930s, very few of us can recall those days.

It comes as it follows an admission by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that the government has "hollowed out and underfunded" the army.

The news follows years of cuts to the British armed forces, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlighting an increased need for investment and upgraded capabilities.

"When you see the number of troops in the army has dropped from 163,200 in 1982, I mean that was when I was in my working lifetime let alone my lifetime it's now at 73,000.

"So in the course of 40 years, it's more than halved."

READ more: Andrew Marr: Could the UK antagonise Russia further by sending more weapons to Ukraine?

US and Germany sending battle tanks to back Ukraine war effort

Nick continued to say: "The number of British tanks, you know how we're going to send challenger 2s well in 1990 we, the British army had 1200 tanks now they have 227 which will be cut to a 148 and effectively 10% of which, 14 are going to go to Ukraine.

"So are tanks will go down from 1200 to 134. Dear god - to 134 in 30 years."

READ more: Bodies of British volunteers Chris Parry and Andrew Bagshaw returned in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap

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