Less than half of the Challenger 2 tanks are considered combat-ready – EADaily, February 23, 2023 – Military News, Ukraine News

Less than half of the British Army’s Challenger 2 tanks are considered operational, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

“We need to stop being introspective and get most of Challenger 2 up to a high degree of readiness in months. Challenger 3 won’t be available until 2027.” – the former junior secretary of the armed forces of Britain told the newspaper Mark Francois.

According to the newspaper, out of 227 Challenger 2 tanks, less than 100 are considered “combat-ready”, and 14 are transferred to Ukraine.

The publication adds that officials declined to give an exact number of “combat-ready” tanks, citing national security issues.

Over the past year, British military assistance to Ukraine has amounted to about 2.3 billion pounds (2.7 billion dollars). This package includes about 3 million units of military equipment, including a batch of Challenger 2 tanks, as well as 200 other armored vehicles, more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles and multiple rocket launchers. Premier Rishi Sunak committed to meeting or exceeding this support level in 2023.