nastyleg
02-03-2010, 03:33 PM
Top officers in the firing line as MoD forced to face cuts
Fewer top officers, a closer relationship with France and a major overhaul of billions of pounds in equipment projects were all put forward as options for Britain's armed forces by the Government today.
The Government published a Green Paper that will lead to a defence review after the election, examining the role of the armed forces and ultimately Britain’s ambitions in the world, whether the country wants to remain a global power or shrink to a smaller role less able to project troops overseas.
The 52-page document, part of a long-awaited debate on how to ensure the military stays relevant and affordable, highlighted the potential for nuclear proliferation, climate change and a seismic shift in power of the Asia-Pacific region expected in the coming decades as key areas impacting defence.
Terrorism, however, is to remain the main threat to Britain, it predicted.
Launching the Green Paper, Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, said: “It is intended to lead to a well informed debate about the future of the armed forces set in the context of the Government’s national security strategy.”
He almost immediately dampened hopes, however, for a bold examination of big-ticket equipment items that have burdened the Ministry of Defence with a £35 billion black hole in its budget, confirming the Government’s support for two aircraft carriers.
“The strategic defence review will have to take a pretty radical direction not foreseen by me in order to suggest that those capabilities will not be required,” Mr Ainsworth told a press conference.
“While yes of course the whole of defence is in the review we understand the commitments we have already made and the likelihood that those will continue to be a requirement in the future.”
The Green Paper also reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to a full-time nuclear deterrent, but Ainsworth indicated that there were a lot of areas that would be going under the microscope as the MoD aims to refocus is forces to become more adaptable and ever more lean.
“Tough choices will lie ahead and we need to rebalance our budget to better reflect our priorities,” Mr Ainsworth said.
He explained that this did not necessarily mean cutting the budget “but better managing our resources to our priorities”.
Mr Ainsworth also said the Government would draw up legislation to ensure that a defence review takes place every time there is a new Parliament to ensure more frequent scrutiny of the military and the threats facing the country and severing the link with the electoral cycle.
The Green Paper was released along side a strategy for acquisition reform, which conceded that overall plans for new equipment “are too ambitions, and need to be scaled down to match the funding likely to be available”.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7013557.ece
Fewer top officers, a closer relationship with France and a major overhaul of billions of pounds in equipment projects were all put forward as options for Britain's armed forces by the Government today.
The Government published a Green Paper that will lead to a defence review after the election, examining the role of the armed forces and ultimately Britain’s ambitions in the world, whether the country wants to remain a global power or shrink to a smaller role less able to project troops overseas.
The 52-page document, part of a long-awaited debate on how to ensure the military stays relevant and affordable, highlighted the potential for nuclear proliferation, climate change and a seismic shift in power of the Asia-Pacific region expected in the coming decades as key areas impacting defence.
Terrorism, however, is to remain the main threat to Britain, it predicted.
Launching the Green Paper, Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, said: “It is intended to lead to a well informed debate about the future of the armed forces set in the context of the Government’s national security strategy.”
He almost immediately dampened hopes, however, for a bold examination of big-ticket equipment items that have burdened the Ministry of Defence with a £35 billion black hole in its budget, confirming the Government’s support for two aircraft carriers.
“The strategic defence review will have to take a pretty radical direction not foreseen by me in order to suggest that those capabilities will not be required,” Mr Ainsworth told a press conference.
“While yes of course the whole of defence is in the review we understand the commitments we have already made and the likelihood that those will continue to be a requirement in the future.”
The Green Paper also reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to a full-time nuclear deterrent, but Ainsworth indicated that there were a lot of areas that would be going under the microscope as the MoD aims to refocus is forces to become more adaptable and ever more lean.
“Tough choices will lie ahead and we need to rebalance our budget to better reflect our priorities,” Mr Ainsworth said.
He explained that this did not necessarily mean cutting the budget “but better managing our resources to our priorities”.
Mr Ainsworth also said the Government would draw up legislation to ensure that a defence review takes place every time there is a new Parliament to ensure more frequent scrutiny of the military and the threats facing the country and severing the link with the electoral cycle.
The Green Paper was released along side a strategy for acquisition reform, which conceded that overall plans for new equipment “are too ambitions, and need to be scaled down to match the funding likely to be available”.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7013557.ece