John
10-19-2010, 05:48 PM
The Prime Minister said 7,000 troops would go from the Army, 5,000 from the Royal Air Force and 5,000 from the Royal Navy.
He also confirmed Britain's defence budget would be cut by 8% over the next four years.
Mr Cameron insisted the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) was not a "cost-cutting exercise".
He promised support for troops in Afghanistan would not be slashed, but said the Ministry of Defence would cut its civilian personnel by 25,000 by 2015 and will cancel the £3.6bn Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft programme.
Tanks and heavy artillery numbers will be reduced by 40%.
The total number of the Navy's frigates and destroyers will drop from 23 to 19 by 2020.
However, Mr Cameron said the Government would complete the production of six Type-45 destroyers as well as new Astute Class hunter-killer submarines.
The Prime Minister confirmed two new aircraft carriers would be built, but said one would be placed on "extended readiness", meaning it will only be available for use in an emergency.
Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal will be decommissioned, according to the SDSR.
Opposition leader Ed Miliband described the review as "a profound missed opportunity".
He said: "It is a spending review dressed up as a defence review, it has been chaotically conducted, it has been hastily prepared and it is simply not credible as a strategic blueprint for our future defence needs."
But some of the strongest criticism came from within Mr Cameron's own party.
Sir Peter Tapsell MP accused the Prime Minister of "kowtowing to the Lib Dems" by delaying a decision on whether to build new submarines for Britain's nuclear deterrent, Trident.
It was "the subservience of the national interest to political expediency," he said.
Conservative Julian Lewis asked why Mr Cameron was not holding a vote on Trident in this parliament.
He accused him of using the issue as a "gambling chip" to keep the Lib Dems happy.
Former Lib Dem leader Menzies Campbell welcomed the delay, saying it was consistent with his party's position.
Source - Yahoo News.
He also confirmed Britain's defence budget would be cut by 8% over the next four years.
Mr Cameron insisted the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) was not a "cost-cutting exercise".
He promised support for troops in Afghanistan would not be slashed, but said the Ministry of Defence would cut its civilian personnel by 25,000 by 2015 and will cancel the £3.6bn Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft programme.
Tanks and heavy artillery numbers will be reduced by 40%.
The total number of the Navy's frigates and destroyers will drop from 23 to 19 by 2020.
However, Mr Cameron said the Government would complete the production of six Type-45 destroyers as well as new Astute Class hunter-killer submarines.
The Prime Minister confirmed two new aircraft carriers would be built, but said one would be placed on "extended readiness", meaning it will only be available for use in an emergency.
Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal will be decommissioned, according to the SDSR.
Opposition leader Ed Miliband described the review as "a profound missed opportunity".
He said: "It is a spending review dressed up as a defence review, it has been chaotically conducted, it has been hastily prepared and it is simply not credible as a strategic blueprint for our future defence needs."
But some of the strongest criticism came from within Mr Cameron's own party.
Sir Peter Tapsell MP accused the Prime Minister of "kowtowing to the Lib Dems" by delaying a decision on whether to build new submarines for Britain's nuclear deterrent, Trident.
It was "the subservience of the national interest to political expediency," he said.
Conservative Julian Lewis asked why Mr Cameron was not holding a vote on Trident in this parliament.
He accused him of using the issue as a "gambling chip" to keep the Lib Dems happy.
Former Lib Dem leader Menzies Campbell welcomed the delay, saying it was consistent with his party's position.
Source - Yahoo News.