Article Posted on : - Oct 20, 2010

LONDON (AP): Britain will lose thousands of troops, build new aircraft carriers without new fighter jets and delay a multibillion-pound upgrade to its nuclear deterrent under sweeping defence cuts being announced Tuesday following the first major military review in more than a decade.

Ahead of a speech to Parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron told troops in London that Britain will remain a major global power, despite fears among allies that the austerity plans could diminish the country's military might.

Cameron is scheduled to outline the details of cuts likely to total as much as USD 4.8 billion from the defence ministry's annual budget of about USD 59 billion.

In the most eye-catching move, Britain is expected to press ahead with a USD 8 billion programme to build two flagship new aircraft carriers, but won't equip them with British fighter jets for about a decade.

It means the vast vessels will either sail without aircraft, or carry French and US jets, a decision the main opposition Labour Party described as eccentric.

"We will be an absolutely front-rank military power," Cameron promised, speaking at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, in London.

"We will make sure that Britain is well-defended and we have a set of armed forces that actually are fit for the modern world."

Military cutbacks come a day before Treasury chief George Osborne's long-anticipated announcement of a government-wide programme to drastically cut department budgets and welfare bills.

The largest cuts to public spending since World War II are aimed at virtually eliminating Britain's deficit, which stands at over 10 per cent of gross domestic product.

While Cameron pledges to safeguard funding for British forces in Afghanistan, the US has already raised worries that cuts could leave its ally unable to take on a major role in military missions in the future.

"This is not a time where you can slacken in the need to keep strong and to invest in your military," said Jim Townsend, the US deputy assistant secretary of defence for Europe and NATO.

In a phone call with President Barack Obama Monday, Cameron promised that Britain would continue to be "a robust ally of the US," despite the budget constraints.

Obama told his British counterpart he hoped the changes would allow the UK to "retain the full spectrum of military capabilities that permits our forces to partner effectively together around the world."