Main battle tanks can look expendable because Britain needs them less often than some other capabilities. They can still be essential when the need arises. Recreating the capability after it has been discarded would be very expensive. Britain also could not assume that allies would provide tanks whenever asked. Any allied support could come with its own rules of engagement, limiting how the force could be used.
Notable Point · 0:13-0:51
The cost of scrapping Britain's tank force
Britain may use its main battle tanks infrequently, yet scrapping them would leave an expensive capability to recreate and make future access dependent on allies' terms.