Roundup: British Armed Forces to Be Overhauled

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002

Roundup: British Armed Forces to Be Overhauled

British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon on Thursday unveiled plans for overhauling British armed forces following the 11 September attacks in the United States.

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British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon on Thursday unveiled plans for overhauling British armed forces following the 11 September attacks in the United States.

This is the first time for Britain to set out how it will revamp its armed forces to cope with the threat of global terrorism.

"Long experience indicates that a wholly defensive posture willnot be enough," Hoon told the House of Commons.

He said the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force must be ready to respond to trouble more rapidly than ever before.

British forces "must be better-equipped and more flexible if they are to act as an effective ally to the United States and other countries in the war on terror," Hoon said.

"Terrorism thrives on the element of surprise," so it is necessary to "hit the enemy hard in his own backyard at a time of our choosing, not his," the defense secretary told the parliament members.

His remarks were made after Exchequer Chancellor Gorden Brown agreed to give more money to the armed forces in the coming budgetyears.

Hoon said much of the added money would be used "to give the armed forces access to far better technology to help them cope with new challenges".

The new equipment will include the arrival of 'network-centric'devices, which use spy satellites and drone aircraft to give commanders and troops on the ground a real time image of the battlefield.

Hoon also made clear that British special forces will be enhanced.

The decision is expected to be heavily influenced by the war against the Taliban, during which British troops were able to playonly a small part.

The defense secretary said he was also looking at ways of improving the mobility and firepower of Britain's light forces, inthe light of operations in Afghanistan.

"Appropriate technology to meet the threats" from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons would also be acquired.

There would also be an improvement in armed forces accommodation, some of which was in poor condition.

Hoon also announced the establishment of Reaction Forces of around 500 reservists in all three services to aid the civil authorities in handling major incidents.

He said improvements to Britain's air defenses to cope with thethreat from "rogue aircraft" were already under way.

There will be fewer tanks and a new emphasis on smaller armoredvehicles which can fit on aircraft for rapid to deployment to trouble spots.

"Our ability to operate alongside the United States and also with other allies, particularly in Europe, will be essential to our future success," he said.

His announcement follows the news that his budget will be increased from 29.3 billion pounds (about 45 billion US dollars) to 32.8 billion pounds (about 50 billion US dollars) by 2005-06 budget year.

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