This is probably related to the recent post about the Highlander regiment being ditched.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/21/uk.defense.cuts/index.html
Britain to Slash Military Jobs
LONDON, England -- Britain is slashing thousands of jobs from its armed forces over the next four years in an effort to save money and revamp the military for modern warfare.
But the government said the cutbacks announced Wednesday were aimed at "support operations," not front-line troops.
Under the plan, Royal Air Force personnel will drop from 48,500 to 41,000, the Royal Navy staff will decline from 37,500 to 36,000 and army troop levels will fall 108,000 to 102,000 by 2008.
In addition, four infantry battalions -- three from England and one from Scotland -- are to be cut, along with four aircraft squadrons over the next three years. At least one airfield will be closed.
Twelve ships and vessels will also be lost in the restructuring.
The defense ministry said the shake-up would not affect the 9,000 British troops currently in Iraq, where Britain has been the top U.S. ally in the coalition.
The restructuring -- first mentioned in a government strategy paper in December -- is seen as an effort to streamline Britain's military and become more technologically advanced to meet the threats of international terrorism and continue to handle peacekeeping commitments.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said that following the end of the Cold War, military should not be measured in troop numbers, or the number of tanks and warships a country has.
"We measured numbers of people and platforms in the Cold War because we were preparing for an essentially attritional campaign, holding back Soviet forces," Hoon told the Commons.
"That kind of campaign has fortunately passed into history as technology has moved on."
The shake-up also reflects financial pressures on Britain's Ministry of Defence.
Last week, Treasury chief Gordon Brown gave the ministry a 1.4 percent annual real-terms increase in its budget, but demanded £2.8 billion ($5.2 billion) in savings on procurement of equipment and back-office support by 2007-2008.
However, a committee of lawmakers has warned against cuts, saying British forces, on duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sierre Leone, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, are over-stretched.
"Troops, both regulars and reserves, are already over-stretched. Cutting the number of boots on the ground, ships or aircraft, are not sensible options," The Associate Press quoted Bruce George, chairman of the Commons Defense Select Committee, as saying earlier this month.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/21/uk.defense.cuts/index.html
Britain to Slash Military Jobs
LONDON, England -- Britain is slashing thousands of jobs from its armed forces over the next four years in an effort to save money and revamp the military for modern warfare.
But the government said the cutbacks announced Wednesday were aimed at "support operations," not front-line troops.
Under the plan, Royal Air Force personnel will drop from 48,500 to 41,000, the Royal Navy staff will decline from 37,500 to 36,000 and army troop levels will fall 108,000 to 102,000 by 2008.
In addition, four infantry battalions -- three from England and one from Scotland -- are to be cut, along with four aircraft squadrons over the next three years. At least one airfield will be closed.
Twelve ships and vessels will also be lost in the restructuring.
The defense ministry said the shake-up would not affect the 9,000 British troops currently in Iraq, where Britain has been the top U.S. ally in the coalition.
The restructuring -- first mentioned in a government strategy paper in December -- is seen as an effort to streamline Britain's military and become more technologically advanced to meet the threats of international terrorism and continue to handle peacekeeping commitments.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said that following the end of the Cold War, military should not be measured in troop numbers, or the number of tanks and warships a country has.
"We measured numbers of people and platforms in the Cold War because we were preparing for an essentially attritional campaign, holding back Soviet forces," Hoon told the Commons.
"That kind of campaign has fortunately passed into history as technology has moved on."
The shake-up also reflects financial pressures on Britain's Ministry of Defence.
Last week, Treasury chief Gordon Brown gave the ministry a 1.4 percent annual real-terms increase in its budget, but demanded £2.8 billion ($5.2 billion) in savings on procurement of equipment and back-office support by 2007-2008.
However, a committee of lawmakers has warned against cuts, saying British forces, on duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sierre Leone, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, are over-stretched.
"Troops, both regulars and reserves, are already over-stretched. Cutting the number of boots on the ground, ships or aircraft, are not sensible options," The Associate Press quoted Bruce George, chairman of the Commons Defense Select Committee, as saying earlier this month.
