LONDON \u2014 Britain’s Conservative Party has pledged not to cut troop numbers and increase defense equipment spending during the next Parliament if they win the May 7 general election, according to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The defense secretary said a future Conservative Government would put a “triple lock guarantee that the size, shape and power” of the Armed Forces would be protected during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London on April 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tories manifesto due to be published next week would include an increase in the defense equipment budget of 1 percent a year in real terms every year throughout the five years of the next Parliament, there would be no further reduction in regular force numbers and four new Trident nuclear missile boats would be introduced starting in the late 2020s to replace the current Vanguard fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Conservative-led coalition pledged the increases to the \u00a314 billion equipment procurement and support budget post 2015 just after they came to power in 2010, but the other two commitments are more recent. The pledge to build four boats rather than three, which was an option, was made by the Tories yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fallon maintained the Conservative position of declining to commit Britain to meeting NATO spending targets of 2 percent of gross domestic product, but said the Armed Forces would get the capabilities they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“NATO targets are important but especially for those countries who are yet to even meet 1 percent. But it’s important also to make and keep specific commitments that give our Armed Forces what they need,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amongst the sizeable political parties vying for seats in the election, only the right-wing UK Independence Party has so far committed to the 2 percent figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Estimates by RUSI, and others, said a commitment by Britain to the NATO target would cost several billion pounds a year to fulfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Actual defense budgets beyond the current \u00a334 billion level are unknown and won’t become clear until at least later in the year when the incoming government is scheduled to undertake a spending review and a strategic defense and security review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expectation is defense and other government departments could be hit with sizable budget reductions as Britain takes further steps to get public finances under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There has been speculation in recent months that the budget cuts could see British Army numbers further heavily reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The army is being shrunk from 102,000 to 82,000 regulars and 30,000 trained reserves, but the manifesto commitment appears to head that off if the Tories return to power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fallon said that recruitment of soldiers to the expanded reserve force was now on track. Recruitment numbers have previously been lower than required leading to warnings that reserve numbers would be unable to meet targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n