The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that no in-year savings measures or stockpile issues will affect the Army’s ability to conduct live fire training, according to a written question and answer.
The statement came in response to an inquiry from James Cartlidge (Conservative – South Suffolk), who asked the Secretary of State for Defence on 27 January 2025 about the potential impact of budget constraints and stockpile depletion on Army training.
In a reply dated 4 February, Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, stated:
“There have been no specific in-year financial constraints imposed on the consumption of ammunition and therefore no impact on the delivery of live fire training.”
Pollard also noted that “for reasons of operational security, details of replenishment and stockpiles are highly classified, and I am withholding this information.”
The response offers no further data on the state of ammunition or other resources, but indicates that the Army’s training regimen remains intact in spite of any budgetary or logistical considerations.
No substitute for lead down the range.
O/T mate but have your ‘insiders’ given you any whispers how the Ajax being issued is getting on?
What about Tungsten down range? 🙂
Lead is cheaper. The Army still collects small arms brass casings for recycling on the ranges
Tanks fire Tungsten or DU, not lead.
“The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that no in-year savings measures or stockpile issues will affect the Army’s ability to conduct live fire training, according to a written question and answer.”
The cynic in me suspects that this statement is only true because so little was planned prior.
I hope I am wrong as going down the range is what a lot of boys’n’girls like and proper exercises and deployments aid retention.
Got enough to train. Just nothing to fight with
“for reasons of operational security, details of replenishment and stockpiles are highly classified, and I am withholding this information.”
This sounds like a bit of typical MoD-speak. Translated, I would suggest that it means that Donnington is now nearly empty, with everything in Ukraine or on it’s way there, that it has been impossible to organise re-supply because everyone else is after the same and due to the global shortages of 155mm shell, Javelin, MANPADs etc prices have trebled. Who shut down the Royal Ordnance Factories?
Hi mate.
It is possible, but I’d be surprised. I think the forces hold bigger holdings than many realise. Indeed, just how come were we able to supply so many NLAW and such to UKR before the war started? Because our stockpiles were bigger than many others in Europe.
And gentle correction, Donnington does not hold ordnance.