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December 10, 2003, Scotsman ROBERTSON WARNS AGAINST CUTS IN MILITARY FUNDS Gethin Chamberlain Defence Correspondent BRITAIN'S most senior military officer yesterday hinted at major cuts in the country's armed forces just hours after Lord Robertson, the outgoing secretary general of NATO, warned that anybody who thought that defence could be achieved on the cheap was "absolutely mad". With just two days to go until the publication of the long awaited defence white paper, General Sir Michael Walker suggested that it would lead to a reduction in the number of some warships and aircraft, and a reduced reliance on heavy armour in favour of new technology and intelligence gathering networks. Earlier, Lord Robertson had warned that NATO member countries would have to spend more on defence if they were to meet commitments in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. He said that although European NATO members and Canada had a million and a quarter troops on paper and another million in reserve, they could only deploy 55,000 at any one time, indicating a serious problem in making forces usable. "All of the countries are going to have to invest more in defence. Other countries have got to do more and reshape their forces to make them usable in the future," he said. "Anybody who thinks that they can get proper defence on the cheap is absolutely mad and not only are they mad, they endanger people in the future." In a speech to the Royal United Services Institute in London yesterday, Sir Michael suggested that parts of the armed forces should brace themselves for major changes to the way they operate, with the navy and air force expected to bear the brunt of the cuts. But he appeared to pour more cold water on claims that historic regiments would be abolished, criticising "sensational stories" which he described as "either wilfully misleading" or ill-informed, and which alarmed servicemen and women and served only to confuse the public. "The armed forces will, as ever, adapt well to these changes. Contrary to popular belief, the military has always been excellent at change - it has had to be. One of the great strengths of the three services is their ability to embrace the future at the same time as respecting the past," he said. "The changes we have started and will continue to make to our armed forces are fully supported by senior officers. They have not been forced upon us by politicians or accountants. We must be careful, of course, and we must ensure there is no change for the sake of change - but this white paper is about building 21st century armed forces. I cannot be more clear, and I hope certain people will remember this in the coming weeks." He suggested that some older naval vessels could be lost and that the introduction of multi-role aircraft would allow the deployment of fewer aircraft. He also called for a better-balanced structure of light, medium and heavy forces, although he said the war in Iraq had demonstrated that there was still a need for some heavier armoured forces, including the Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and AS 90 artillery. Both Sir Michael and Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, who also addressed the RUSI, said that the chances of a large-scale conventional attack on the UK were now considered remote, with the future emphasis on smaller scale actions in co-operation with US forces. "The most demanding expeditionary operations, involving intervention against state adversaries, can only plausibly be conducted if US forces are engaged, either leading a coalition or in NATO," Sir Michael said.
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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