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Military cuts mean 'no US partnership', Robert Gates warns Britain Military cuts mean 'no US partnership', Robert Gates warns Britain
(about 1 hour later)
Cuts to the UK's armed forces will limit the country's ability to be a major player on the world stage, a former US defence secretary has warned. UK armed forces cuts will limit the country's ability to be a major player on the world stage, ex-US defence secretary Robert Gates has warned.
Robert Gates said the spending squeeze would mean the UK could no longer be a full military partner of the US. The UK plans to cut 30,000 armed forces personnel by 2020, leaving 147,000.
Under the government's plans, by 2020 the Army will lose 20,000 personnel, the Royal Navy 6,000 and the RAF 5,000.
The Ministry of Defence says Britain still has the fourth largest defence budget in the world.The Ministry of Defence says Britain still has the fourth largest defence budget in the world.
It also has "the best-trained and best-equipped armed forces outside the US", the MoD added in a statement. Mr Gates also questioned whether "artificial" states in the Middle East "like Libya, Iraq and Syria can be held together absent of repression".
Mr Gates, who served under presidents Obama and Bush, told the BBC that was because they were made up of "historically adversarial groups".
And he said that although it was unlikely to happen, the US did have the capability to intervene in the Syrian conflict but lacked a "broader strategy to deal with the broader conflicts in the Middle East".
'Hollowed out''Hollowed out'
But Mr Gates, who served under presidents Obama and Bush, singled out cuts to the navy as particularly damaging. On the UK's military cuts, Mr Gates told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said: "With the fairly substantial reductions in defence spending in Great Britain, what we're finding is that it won't have full spectrum capabilities and the ability to be a full partner as they have been in the past."
Interviewed by BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he noted that - for the first time since World War One - Britain did not have an operational aircraft carrier.
"With the fairly substantial reductions in defence spending in Great Britain, what we're finding is that it won't have full spectrum capabilities and the ability to be a full partner as they have been in the past," he said.
The spectrum refers to the ability of a country's military to fight across air, sea and land.The spectrum refers to the ability of a country's military to fight across air, sea and land.
Mr Gates singled out cuts to the Royal Navy as particularly damaging and he noted that - for the first time since World War One - Britain did not have an operational aircraft carrier.
Mr Gates warned against nuclear disarmament by the UK, but acknowledged that there was scope for changes to the way the deterrent was deployed.
Mr Gates's comments echo the concerns of other senior military figures.Mr Gates's comments echo the concerns of other senior military figures.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, warned last month Britain could be left with the "spectre" of a hollowed-out force.The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, warned last month Britain could be left with the "spectre" of a hollowed-out force.
Under the government's proposals, by 2020 the Army will lose 20,000 soldiers, the Royal Navy 6,000 personnel and the RAF 5,000 - although there are also plans to increase the number of reservists in each service.
Prime Minister David Cameron insisted in 2011 the UK retained a "pretty full spectrum capability" after the three service chiefs warned its reach would be diminished.Prime Minister David Cameron insisted in 2011 the UK retained a "pretty full spectrum capability" after the three service chiefs warned its reach would be diminished.
Jonathan Beale, the BBC's defence correspondent said the American's latest intervention would be unlikely to reverse the cuts but would wound Britain's pride.Jonathan Beale, the BBC's defence correspondent said the American's latest intervention would be unlikely to reverse the cuts but would wound Britain's pride.
In its statement the MoD said: "Over the next decade, we plan to spend £160bn on equipment, to ensure our armed forces retain their formidable range of cutting-edge capabilities and ability to project power across the globe, including by maintaining our major naval presence in the Gulf Region. The Ministry of Defence said the UK - like the US - had had to take "tough decisions" on defence spending but had "the best trained and best equipped armed forces outside the US".
In a statement, it added: "Over the next decade, we plan to spend £160bn on equipment, to ensure our armed forces retain their formidable range of cutting-edge capabilities and ability to project power across the globe, including by maintaining our major naval presence in the Gulf Region.
"Construction of the first new aircraft carrier, the largest ship the Royal Navy has ever operated, is almost complete and the navy will also operate state-of-the-art Type 45 destroyers, new Type-26 Frigates, and seven new Astute Class submarines.""Construction of the first new aircraft carrier, the largest ship the Royal Navy has ever operated, is almost complete and the navy will also operate state-of-the-art Type 45 destroyers, new Type-26 Frigates, and seven new Astute Class submarines."
And former Defence Secretary Liam Fox told the Today programme the Britain was "one of only four or five countries inside Nato" to meet the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.And former Defence Secretary Liam Fox told the Today programme the Britain was "one of only four or five countries inside Nato" to meet the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.
"America is the world's biggest economy with the world's biggest defence budget. We're the world's eighth biggest economy with the fourth biggest defence budget, so certainly we're pulling our weight on that," he said."America is the world's biggest economy with the world's biggest defence budget. We're the world's eighth biggest economy with the fourth biggest defence budget, so certainly we're pulling our weight on that," he said.
The government's proposals to cut the number of regulars in the armed forces also include plans to increase the number of reservists. Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker said the prime minister should be worried about the concerns of "Britain's strongest ally".
But there have reports that army recruitment figures are below target. "It's clear that there needs to be a rebalancing after withdrawal from Afghanistan and the closure of bases in Germany," he said.
Last week, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said that while army recruitment represented a "big challenge" there was not a crisis. "And no-one is disputing the financial constraints within which the UK military must operate. But the government must ensure that Britain's defence capability is maintained."