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RAF to shrink to World War One levels
In the most significant changes to Britain's defences since the post-Suez review of 1957, ministers and officials plan to scrap large parts of the Armed Forces.The Services will lose up to 16,000 personnel, hundreds of tanks, scores of fighter jets and half a dozen ships, under detailed proposals passed to The Daily Telegraph. But the RAF will bear the brunt of the planned cuts. The Air Force will lose 7,000 airmen -- almost one sixth of its total staff -- and 295 aircraft. The cuts will leave the Force with fewer than 200 fighter planes for the first time since 1914. In addition, the Navy will lose two submarines, three amphibious ships and more than 100 senior officers, along with 2,000 sailors and marines. The Army faces a 40 per cent cut to its fleet of 9,700 armoured vehicles and the loss of a 5,000-strong brigade of troops. The Telegraph has also learnt that the "black hole" in MoD finances, caused by orders which have been made but cannot be paid for, is approaching £72 billion over the next decade -- double the amount previously suggested. While the Strategic Defence and Security Review is yet to be finalised, officials have drawn up a series of likely options to meet cuts of 10 to 20 per cent demanded by the Treasury. By the end of this month the Defence Strategy Group, comprising ministers and military chiefs, will be presented with a number of recommendations that they will refine and pass to the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, in September. In October, after agreement with the Treasury, an announcement will be made in Parliament on precisely what cuts the Forces face as part of the comprehensive spending review of Whitehall budgets. If implemented, the cuts will mean that Britain will almost certainly depart the world stage as a major military power and become what military chiefs call
Posted by: tipper 2010-08-07 |
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