Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for the Armed Forces to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee on 8 March 2023, when his Department began cannibalising Challenger 2 tanks to sustain other platforms.

As a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, the Ministry of Defence reduced the Challenger 2 fleet from 345 to 227, and a disposal programme was implemented.

To ensure best value, components were salvaged from the Challenger 2 tanks as they went through the disposal process to assist with the sustainment of the remaining Challenger 2 fleet. This process began as the first tank entered the disposal line in 2013.

The disposal programme was halted in 2014. Since then components have been removed from these tanks to sustain the current Challenger 2 fleet.