Do we need to keep 50,000 British troops in Germany?

[Ayahuasca]

There doesn't seem much chance of ze Nazis reappearing or Slavic Red Hordes charging over the border so why do we maintain so many troops there?

Apparently they contribute 1.5 million Euro to the German economy that the UK could probably do with being spent on itself.

Time to bring the boys back home?

[Blue Meanie]

Not sure myself. What exactly are they doing? Training, or what?

[Ayahuasca]

Drinking beer, fighting with locals and driving tax-free cars I think.

[mikeyr]

Probably not, but then really do we need that many troops full stop. Maybe once our latest "conflicts" are over we could look at reducing our forces?

[Blue Meanie]

mikeyr said:

Probably not, but then really do we need that many troops full stop. Maybe once our latest "conflicts" are over we could look at reducing our forces?

I certainly wouldn't get rid of the troops. We seem to be in a period where a conflict could open up on more fronts. Iran, N Korea, and there is always the chance we could invade France.

[E31Shrew]

Theres about 20000 in Germany but most are part of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

[V8mate]

Ayahuasca said:

Do we need to keep 50,000 British troops in Germany?

Ayahuasca said:

Apparently they contribute 1.5 million Euro to the German economy that the UK could probably do with being spent on itself.

Thirty Euros each? I contribute more than that to the German economy

[Ayahuasca]

V8mate said:

Ayahuasca said:

Do we need to keep 50,000 British troops in Germany?

Ayahuasca said:

Apparently they contribute 1.5 million Euro to the German economy that the UK could probably do with being spent on itself.

Thirty Euros each? I contribute more than that to the German economy

Sorry, billion, not million, so 30,000 Euro each.

[Toni896]

mikeyr said:

Probably not, but then really do we need that many troops full stop. Maybe once our latest "conflicts" are over we could look at reducing our forces?

Well yes, seen as we have a problem fielding 10000 troops over a sustained period might a well do away with th lot ...

[soad]

Ayahuasca said:

Drinking beer, fighting with locals and driving tax-free cars I think.

Is it as clear cut as that?!
I know nothing why so many are based there - but seems a touch too many.

Some could be used elsewhere perhaps.

[stimps]

Wheres this information come from?

[Rocksteadyeddie]

stimps said:

Wheres this information come from?

Which bit?

[ellroy]

The reason they are there is historic. However, consider it in terms of the ability to house 50,000 men, their families and kit. Is reality this is a large part of the reason they are still there.

A good proportion of them are 7 Armoured Division, for example, and that means lots of kit, Challengers/Warriors/bridgelayers etc. I'm pretty sure they'd find it hard to house more troops and that kind of stuff in the UK anytime soon.

Also there's very little in the way of exercise areas in the UK where heavy armour can work.

[Colin 1985]

I would have thought being in Germany would make it easier to deploy. And as said above the UK is more densely populated.

[stimps]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

stimps said:

Wheres this information come from?

Which bit?

The original post

[davido140]

ellroy said:

Also there's very little in the way of exercise areas in the UK where heavy armour can work.

I always thought most of dorset and the salisbury plains were designated for tanks to stretch their legs?

[jimbobsimmonds]

well in the 20 years since the fall of the wall the MoD has shown no real interest in moving large proportions of the army back to the UK...

much of our infrastructure has been built in Germany, and the army at this time simply doesn't have the resources to bring all the roles currently based in Germany over to the UK...

50,000 is a lot of people to house...

[ellroy]

davido140 said:

ellroy said:

Also there's very little in the way of exercise areas in the UK where heavy armour can work.

I always thought most of dorset and the salisbury plains were designated for tanks to stretch their legs?

The whole length of salisbury plain will allow a single battle run for a full armoured battle group. So you don't get a great degree of variation in land, obstacles etc.

Or that was certainly the case when I used to play there as I recall.

Dorset has armoured ranges and a training area associated, but nowhere near the same size.

[Mojocvh]

Well the Army have kept that 50,000 (?) VERY quiet haven't they.

[Papa Hotel]

davido140 said:

ellroy said:

Also there's very little in the way of exercise areas in the UK where heavy armour can work.

I always thought most of dorset and the salisbury plains were designated for tanks to stretch their legs?

You can't do proper live firing in the UK on any sort of decent scale. Germany is handy for heading over to Poland to do a Brigade or even Division sized exercise with live artillery and getting RAF bombs involved. Try doing that in the UK.