The £250 million renovation of an MoD location in Gloucestershire will serve as a "crucial element" in updating the British Army.
Facilities for storing military vehicles are under construction at MoD Ashchurch, located close to Tewkesbury, as part of an ongoing infrastructure initiative.
By 2027, the facility will be capable of housing up to 4,000 vehicles, such as tanks and Land Rovers, in a climate-controlled setting designed to maintain optimal humidity levels. This preservation method stops degradation and keeps them prepared for immediate use when needed.
Brigadier Matthew Wilkinson stated: "Ashchurch plays a crucial role in the British Army's modernization initiative. It’s easy to focus solely on advanced, state-of-the-art equipment, yet without adequate support structures... the military wouldn’t be able to deploy effectively."
Belinda Lunn, who oversees the Vehicle Storage and Support Programme (VSSP), said six out of a planned 14 buildings had been completed.
"All of the storage facilities maintain controlled humid environments, which allows us to preserve our vehicles at optimal temperatures and prevent deterioration," Ms. Lunn explained.
These storage sheds will maintain optimal temperatures, ensuring that when we retrieve them for the Army, they'll be readily available with minimal delay.
Approximately 400 individuals are engaged in the construction of these facilities simultaneously, she mentioned.
Brig Wilkinson said an important part of MoD Ashchurch was its stored operational fleet - a mix of vehicles that "are ready to do whatever the nation needs the British Army to do".
The fleet comprises tanks, Land Rovers, and quad bikes.
"Pretty much every type of vehicle we anticipate the Army will operate will have part of their fleet stationed here," stated Brig Wilkinson.
We have deployed them for all our recent operations in the Middle East and Iraq as well as Afghanistan, and prior to that, for peacekeeping missions in the Balkans.
Many of the vehicles we've provided as in-kind donations to Ukraine have passed through Ashchurch, which serves as a crucial hub for getting them ready in a configuration usable by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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