The HCS have announced the disbanding of all of its remaining reserve armoured regiments which will be completed by the end of next year. Nine regiments in total will be disbanded along with 4 infantry regiments in a separate cut. The reserve regiments are the last remnants of what was once scores of regiments which backed up the Category A armoured force at the height of the Clone Wars. In latter years these regiments have been slowly wound down and in most cases are at a fairly low level of readiness with decaying equipment.
The cuts will enable the withdrawal of 1,500 tanks, 1,200 being T-88s (nearly half the remaining force of this type) and the rest older T-55Zs. Six bases will also be closed and the land sold off. A total of 210 million zarks a year will be saved, the HCS will try and sell the withdrawn tanks.
A HCS spokesclone said despite the cuts the HCS would still have nearly 25,000 tanks in service. The aim is to reduce the total force to around 20,000 by the end of the decade with a 50:50 mix of T-89s and T-55Zs.
