2,600 navy and army staff go in cuts

Navy pilots, Gurkhas and troops serving in Afghanistan among those to lose jobs in initial round of military redundancies Some 1,600 navy personnel and 1,000 soldiers will lose their jobs in the initial round of defence cuts, senior military officials have announced. Gurkhas will be among those going in the army’s first round of redundancies, while troops now serving in Afghanistan may not be saved and Navy pilots will be among those losing their jobs. Around half the redundancies in the army are expected to be compulsory. The head of army manning, Brigadier Richard Nugee, said the 3,500-strong Brigade of Gurkhas would lose about 50 soldiers. There was a surplus number of Gurkhas because changes made to their terms of service in 2008 meant they could now serve for 22 years rather than the previous 15-year limit. “Opportunities for promotion within the brigade are being severely limited by the current situation,” Nugee said. “We are committed to a strong and vibrant Brigade of Gurkhas into the future and therefore must take action to ensure that, like the rest of the army, their structures and manning are in the best possible shape by the end of this process.” Fifteen out of the 59 navy fast jets pilots will be made redundant as a result of the decision in last year’s defence review to get rid of Britain’s fleet of Harrier jumpjets. The redundancies are part of 17,000 in the armed forces – 7,000 from the army, 5,000 from the RAF, and 5,000 from the navy – announced in the review. Military Defence policy Gurkhas Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk

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