21.07.2004, 16:49
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Zitat:Hoon outlines armed forces cuts
Forces numbers will be cut
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced large cuts in the armed forces as part of modernisation plans.
By 2008 the RAF will shed 7,500 jobs, the Navy 1,500 with a further 10,000 civilian posts also lost. Aircraft, tank and ship numbers will also be cut.
Flexibility and the ability to fight far from the UK is key, says Mr Hoon.
Tory Nicholas Soames said personnel would feel "betrayed politically and morally" and the public would be "dismayed" by "underhand" treatment.
For the Lib Dems, Paul Keetch said: "Iraq has shown that winning the peace needs more troops on the ground than winning the war."
He added "a bit of spare capacity would have been a good insurance policy."
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