Britain announces defense cuts, delays nuclear weapons upgrade
Oct. 20, 2010
Britain on Tuesday announced large cuts in its defense budget to find overall savings of 113 billion pounds ($177 billion) over the next five years.
Following a strategic review, Prime Minister David Cameron said the annual defense budget of around 33 billion pounds -- currently the world's fourth largest -- will be cut 8 percent by 2015 and that the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent will be delayed to save some money.
In addition, Cameron announced the scrapping of one of the country's two aircraft carriers, reductions of 17,000 service personnel and 25,000 civilian employees by 2015, as well as cuts in the numbers of tanks, frigates and destroyers.
The prime minister told Britain's lower house of parliament that the review heralded a ''step change'' and represented a shift from being ''over-reliant on military intervention to a higher priority for conflict prevention.''
He added the new strategy will reshape armed forces which are currently ''overstretched and underequipped'' to ones which are the ''most flexible'' in the world.
Cameron said that building replacements of the four submarines which carry Britain's nuclear missiles will now start in 2016, which means a delay of up to five years when the first new submarines come into service. This is expected now to be in 2028.
The prime minister said the new submarines will also carry less warheads than previously planned to save cash.
Britain's principal aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jump jets will be decommissioned, but work will proceed on the construction of two new aircraft carriers, Cameron added.
The government is reluctant to go ahead with building two new carriers, but it would have cost more to scrap the projects at this stage, he said.
The first new carrier will come into service in 2016 and will carry helicopters. It is expected to be mothballed or sold when the second carrier is finished in 2019.
This new boat will carry F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
Cameron said the cuts will not impact on any of Britain's operations in Afghanistan where troops are expected to pull out in 2014.
On Monday, Cameron called U.S. President Barack Obama to reassure him that Britain will remain a ''first-rate military player and robust ally of the United States.''
Many observers believe Britain's military strategy has been stuck in the Cold War and failed to adapt to new threats.
Ministers have concluded that Britain's military capabilities should now be geared toward tackling terrorism, cyber warfare, handling natural disasters and dealing with international military crises.
The coalition government of center-right Conservatives and their minority partner, the Liberal Democrats, aims to clear Britain's structural deficit within five years and is looking to make savings of 113 billion pounds through a combination of cuts and tax rises.
This will mean an average cut of about 25 percent in government spending.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Oct. 19, 2010)
Following a strategic review, Prime Minister David Cameron said the annual defense budget of around 33 billion pounds -- currently the world's fourth largest -- will be cut 8 percent by 2015 and that the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent will be delayed to save some money.
In addition, Cameron announced the scrapping of one of the country's two aircraft carriers, reductions of 17,000 service personnel and 25,000 civilian employees by 2015, as well as cuts in the numbers of tanks, frigates and destroyers.
The prime minister told Britain's lower house of parliament that the review heralded a ''step change'' and represented a shift from being ''over-reliant on military intervention to a higher priority for conflict prevention.''
He added the new strategy will reshape armed forces which are currently ''overstretched and underequipped'' to ones which are the ''most flexible'' in the world.
Cameron said that building replacements of the four submarines which carry Britain's nuclear missiles will now start in 2016, which means a delay of up to five years when the first new submarines come into service. This is expected now to be in 2028.
The prime minister said the new submarines will also carry less warheads than previously planned to save cash.
Britain's principal aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jump jets will be decommissioned, but work will proceed on the construction of two new aircraft carriers, Cameron added.
The government is reluctant to go ahead with building two new carriers, but it would have cost more to scrap the projects at this stage, he said.
The first new carrier will come into service in 2016 and will carry helicopters. It is expected to be mothballed or sold when the second carrier is finished in 2019.
This new boat will carry F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
Cameron said the cuts will not impact on any of Britain's operations in Afghanistan where troops are expected to pull out in 2014.
On Monday, Cameron called U.S. President Barack Obama to reassure him that Britain will remain a ''first-rate military player and robust ally of the United States.''
Many observers believe Britain's military strategy has been stuck in the Cold War and failed to adapt to new threats.
Ministers have concluded that Britain's military capabilities should now be geared toward tackling terrorism, cyber warfare, handling natural disasters and dealing with international military crises.
The coalition government of center-right Conservatives and their minority partner, the Liberal Democrats, aims to clear Britain's structural deficit within five years and is looking to make savings of 113 billion pounds through a combination of cuts and tax rises.
This will mean an average cut of about 25 percent in government spending.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on Oct. 19, 2010)
