UK cancels 15 military exercises to save money
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Oct 29, IRNA
UK-Defense
Britain has been forced to cancel almost 10 percent of its military exercises this year, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth has revealed.
"Of the 584 training exercises scheduled to take place in 2008, 55 have been cancelled," Ainsworth told MPs in a written parliamentary reply published Wednesday.
He listed 15 of the military exercises being cancelled as a 'savings measure'.
Reasons among others for cancellations also included operations commitments, budget cuts and by mutual agreement with the US due to lack of available forces on either side.
The cancellations come as the net additional cost for the UK wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is set to reach almost pnds 12 billion (dlrs 24 bn) by the end of the current financial year.
Fighting on two fronts has also caused concern that Britain was overstretching its armed forces with some regiments already having to serve up to five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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