The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper has done an analysis of UK military records regarding some of the military’s most-used vehicles that appear to have led to the deaths of at last five British service members.
The Mail calls these problems “lethal defects” that were known about by military officials for years, though nothing was done about the issues. During a period of five years and through four separate incidents, five UK soldiers have died in accidents relating to the Warrior and Jackal armored tanks, the Scimitar tank, and the Challenger II tank. The paper claims internal military service records found 300 “failings” and made a total of 227 recommendations.
The failings include not only mechanical defects in the tanks, but also problems with routine maintenance and training. The investigation found that military commanders had multiple chances to prevent the deaths ahead of time.
The stories of the soldiers’ deaths have come out through their families’ anguished complaints. Private Jethro, 223, died in 2021 when he was driving what the Mail describes as a “badly maintained Scimitar” tank. The tank’s gun barrel hit a tree which cause the turret to spin around and kill Jethro, said his mother, Moira Watson-Pickering. She said families understand the risk of military service, but then there’s “negligence,” which she said is “the only word for it.”
A military report on the Scimitar model indicates the gun turret had been “expanded” to make room for additional gear, and this upped the risk of the tank driver being hit by the turret. There have been a number of close calls since 2008. An investigation this June found the Scimitar was top-heavy, too, and had turned over 40 times since it was debuted in 2008.
Staff Sergeant John McKelvie was killed in a Scimitar roll-over, and his sister Jackie Welsh said it was terribly frustrating that her brother had served on active duty in war zones only to be killed in an unnecessary training accident.
The Challenger II tank has also claimed lives because of an apparent design flaw. Darren Neilson died in 2017 during another training exercise when his tank’s gun turret exploded. The same thing happened to 27-year-old Matthew Hatfield.
The Ministry of Defence responded to the allegations by saying the service is committed to learning its lessons, and has accepted the recommendations to modify the dangerous vehicles. The MoD acknowledged a “duty of care” to military personnel.
