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(Image: MOD • CROWN)

Thousands were offered the chance of joining the Royal Armoured Corps – the first combat unit opened up to women – earlier this year.

But just a few took up the offer to join Challenger tank crews, according to Ministry of Defence figures released following a Freedom of Information request.

Before being allowed to go to war in a tank, any female soldiers who apply must pass a gruelling armoured warfare course.

If successful, they could be serving on the front line in military operations by next year.

(Image: NC)

But Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, said letting women into the infantry was a waste of taxpayers’ cash.

He said: “It is no surprise that very few women want to volunteer to serve as tank crews. The same will go for the infantry. After drop-outs and test failures, the numbers will be negligible.

“Having a very tiny minority of women serving in what will remain pretty much all-male units will be counter-productive and harmful to morale and combat effectiveness.

“The whole thing will turn out to be a very costly, damaging and futile exercise in political correctness, funded, of course, by the taxpayer.

(Image: SHUTTERSTOCK • NESTUDIO)

“The Army did not want this, but it was forced on them by politically-correct politicians and feminist zealots who themselves would not dream of serving in close combat units.”

The FOI request revealed 70 female Army recruits have so far inquired about joining the RAC.

Of those, just 30 had the armoured corps as their first choice option.

One source told us that around half of female recruits could be expected to make the final cut.

The source said: “The drop-out rate for male recruits joining one of the Army’s front line units can be as much 50%. For women it could be even higher.”

The RAC is one of the Army’s biggest and most important units.

Around 7,000 men serve in Challenger tanks and light reconnaissance units, such as the Household Cavalry.

The FOI request also revealed just 15 would-be female officers would consider a career in the RAC, while fewer than five had any interest in joining the infantry.

(Image: GETTY)

An Army survey indicated that, in the longer term, the number of women entering ground close combat roles would be very small.

In the FOI reply the MoD said: “As at 21 Sep 2016, 70 applications had been received from females expressing a preference for service as a soldier in the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC).

“Of the 70 applications, 30 selected the RAC as their first of the three preferences that candidates choose during the application process.

“Less than five female soldiers have applied to transfer to the RAC.”