One in ten body armour plates worn by British troops AREN’T bulletproof, shock test results reveal_Nhy
Body armour given to British Army troops is failing to protect them from bullets, shock new tests have revealed.
A major recall has been ordered by Ministry of Defence chiefs after scans showed cracks in what were supposed to be bullet proof plates.
British troops could be in severe danger as Top Brass quickly tries to find more protective replacements.
The imperfections were discovered in ceramic plates, called Enhanced Combat Body Armour.
The RAF, Army and Navy own a minimum of 120,000 sets, and every plate is being recalled for testing.
The Sun reports that one in ten has so far failed, meaning the lives of troops could be at extreme risk.
In a letter to military chiefs, Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard said: ‘I will not accept a make do and mend approach to the safety or operational capability of our people.’
The MoD said in a statement: ‘As a precaution, ECBA use has been suspended in all but unavoidable circumstances.’
Body armour given to British troops is failing to protect them from bullets, new tests have revealed (File image)
A major recall has been ordered by Ministry of Defence chiefs after scans showed cracks in what were supposed to be bullet proof plates (File image)
MailOnline has contacted the MoD for further comment.
In 2020, it was revealed that potentially fatal flaws in tests to measure the resistance of body armour had been ignored for decades.
Now, the news of new failures comes days after MPs claimed shortages of weapons and equipment in the Armed Forces are being glossed over by Labour in a £300billion ‘cover-up’.
A failure to produce reports for Parliament left the committees charged with scrutinising spending in the dark over what Britain needs to buy to defend itself.
The Mail understands the failure to publish the Equipment Plan has been caused by ministers and senior officials having no idea how much money they will have to spend.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves imposed spending restrictions on the Armed Forces amid a stagnating economy.
Consequently, military chiefs no longer expect the UK to meet the target of spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence this year.
Labour is glossing over chronic shortages of army weapons and equipment in a £300billion ‘cover-up’, MPs have warned (file photo)
In a joint statement, Sir Geoffrey Clinton-Brown, the chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, and Tan Dhesi, chairman of the defence committee, said: ‘The reality is that transparency on acquisition, expenditure and capability has decreased, severely undermining the ability of both committees to scrutinise the estimated £300billion of taxpayers’ money planned to be spent on defence equipment over the next decade.’
Tory Armed Forces spokesman Mark Francois said ministers’ sums ‘no longer added up’.
The situation has been exacerbated by this country’s support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia coming at a significant cost to its defences.
The UK is thought to be running low on ammunition of all calibres and its air defences have been compromised. Tanks, missiles and rocket launchers are also in short supply.
A senior defence source previously said: ‘The situation is absolute chaos. The services require additional investment and clarity – both have been taken away.’
