MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK Army Ad is filmed in Chile

Cash-strapped military bosses “borrowed” aircraft from South America to make TV adverts for the British Army.

The Ministry of Defence spent £1.24million filming four commercials in Chile.

The Forward as One ads seemed to show the Army and its hardware in action.

But the helicopter and plane - an American-built Hercules, which the RAF does fly - were supplied by the Chilean military.

And the "soldiers" were film extras from Chile, the MoD confirmed yesterday.

The revelations come as it emerged last week that the armed forces are 5,170 below strength.

One senior army source said: "It's embarrassing to use aircraft from Chile in ads supposed to show the British Army at its best.

"There just aren't the planes to spare because of Afghanistan and Iraq."

But the MoD said it was cheaper to film in Chile than the UK and the ads helped boost recruitment by 10 per cent this year.

Army chiefs launched a campaign yesterday to recruit more Muslims.

Source: by Vincent Moss ? Sunday Mirror