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Britain may consider increasing the size of its army to cope with all of its overseas military commitments, Defence Secretary Des Browne said in an interview published in The Times.
Browne also acknowledged that he was concerned about cutbacks in basic training for troops, because of foreign operations, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaking to the daily, the defence secretary said that he might have to look at the “basic assumptions” underpinning Britain's military strategy.
“Then we will have to consider increasing the size of the army,” he said.
According to The Times, the trained strength of the army is currently 95,560, compared to 156,500 in 1990.
Browne added that because of Britain's operations in Iraq, where it has about 7,100 soldiers, and Afghanistan, where it has around 5,600 troops, soldiers were not getting sufficient basic training.
“People imagine that the best form of training is to be in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's not true,” Browne said.
“While we are deploying troops in their thousands, we lose the chance to build up their basic skills. Before they deploy, they train for the specific operations, but there is a danger that the army is not retaining the core of its full capabilities.”
He did not specify how many troops may be needed, and added that there were no plans at present to increase the numbers of soldiers.
Browne did, however, indicate to the newspaper that of Britain's deployment to Bosnia of 600 troops, many would be pulled out next year, and there were plans to lower the military garrison in Northern Ireland from 8,500 to 5,000 troops.
If these cutbacks, along with the hoped-for reduction of troop levels in Iraq, went ahead, they would “bring back a degree of flexibility,” he said.
Browne's comments on the capacity of the British Army follow those made in August by the head of the army, General Richard Dannatt, who told The Guardian that Britain's military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were stretched to the very limit, telling the daily: “Can we cope? I pause. I say 'just'”.
Dannatt also said in an interview with the Daily Mail in October that Britain should withdraw from Iraq “sometime soon”.
The defence secretary said he had given Dannatt permission to speak in public about their concerns regarding the armed forces
