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London. Britain will lose thousands of troops, build new aircraft carriers without new fighter jets and delay a multibillion-pound upgrade to its nuclear deterrent under sweeping defense cuts being announced on Tuesday following the first major military review in more than a decade.

Ahead of a speech to Parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron told troops in London that Britain would remain a global power, despite fears among allies that the austerity plans could diminish the UK’s military might.

In the most eye-catching move, Britain is expected to press ahead with a 5 billion pound ($8 billion) program to build two flagship new aircraft carriers — but will not equip them with British fighter jets for about a decade.

It means the vast vessels will either sail without aircraft, or carry French and US jets — a decision the main opposition Labor Party described as eccentric.

“We will be an absolutely front-rank military power,” Cameron promised, speaking at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, in London. “We will make sure that Britain is well-defended and we have a set of armed forces that actually are fit for the modern world.”

Military cutbacks come a day before Treasury chief George Osborne’s long-anticipated announcement of a government-wide program to cut department budgets and welfare bills.

While Cameron pledges to safeguard funding for British forces in Afghanistan, the United States has already raised worries that cuts could leave its ally unable to take on a major role in military missions in the future.

“This is not a time where you can slacken in the need to keep strong and to invest in your military,” said Jim Townsend, the US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO.


Associated Press