'Tough choices' in defence green paper
Updated on 03 February 2010
The government will publish today its blueprint for the future of the British armed forces - and is likely to call for greater co-operation with the French.
The defence green paper will not promise new aircraft or ships or even troops, but it will pave the way for the first strategic defence review in more than a decade.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) faces a budget cut of between 10 and 20 per cent, which ever party is in power.
Today's green paper is likely to suggest existing spending plans are unaffordable, however it is unlikely to contain suggestions on where spending should be cut.
The prime minister Gordon Brown has insisted the MoD will press ahead with billion pound aircraft carrier orders and the similarly expensive joint strike fighter aircraft.
The MoD said the plans would inform debate, within and outside the military, "about how best to structure defence for the threats, risks and challenges we face now and in the future".
However the Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox has accused the government of making "huge" spending promises, despite the state of the public finances.
French link
Analysts expect the paper to call for greater military co-operation with French and other European forces to maintain Britain's role on the world stage.
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, who advised the MoD on the green paper, and recently predicted UK front line capabilities will inevitably be eroded, believes the UK will be forced to seek better integration with our European partners.
He said: "The Ministry of Defence is going to have to be smarter, more cost effective, and more adaptable. We have to learn lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan and place even more emphasis on partnerships with other countries."
The MoD has also faced strong criticism about its procurement processes. The current programme is £35m over budget with projects running on average five years late.
Channel 4 News reported in August how the department was accused of wasting £2.5bn a year on delayed procurement projects.
