MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Controversy in UK over cuts in military training to save money

PM Brown was accused by former UK Army generals of being “disingenuous” over claims forces in Afghanistan had proper equipment

A record 80 training exercises were cancelled last year By the UK Ministry of Defense while the number of British troops in Helmand reached 10,000.

Last week a coroner castigated the Ministry of Defence over “inadequate” mine detection training following the death of Cpl Sarah Bryant, the first British woman killed in Afghanistan, and three SAS soldiers.

The Daily Telegraph has also learnt that units training to deploy to Afghanistan within the next two years have had their training cut. One battalion commander said: “We are attempting to train essentially with one hand tied behind our back.”

Figures show that the number of exercises conducted in the past three years fell by almost 30%, dropping from 646 in 2008 to 462 last year. Meanwhile, the number of cancellations rose from 58 in 2006 to a high of 80 last year.

The cuts will lead to further questioning of PM Gordon Brown’s commitment to the Services after his appearance at the Iraq Inquiry, when former generals accused him of being “disingenuous” over his claims that the Armed Forces were fully funded.

Last week, a woman whose son was killed in Afghanistan challenged the Prime Minister on BBC One’s Politics Show. Ann Probyn asked him: “My son was sent out on a night patrol in the dark with just his gun… would you like your son to go out on a night patrol with no equipment?”

Guardsman Daniel Probyn, of 1st Bn Grenadier Guards, was killed near the town of Garmsir in Helmand in May 2007. Mr. Brown said he would “not allow” troops to go into a particular operation “without knowing they had the proper equipment”,

The latest training cuts, which could save the MoD around £20 million, were part of a £97 million saving forced on the Army along with a recruitment freeze.

Willie Rennie, the Liberal Democrat defense spokesman who obtained the figures in a parliamentary answer, said it would be “deeply alarming” if vital exercises were cut “merely as a cost-saving measure”.
MoD officials admitted that cuts had been made as part of “in-year saving measures”.

No exercises that involved units in their final six months before deployment have been cut. Bill Rammell, the Armed Forces Minister, said: “All exercises that better prepare our forces for operations in Afghanistan will continue.”