Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth is to outline job cuts which he hopes will help pay for extra equipment for troops serving in Afghanistan promised by prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday.
According to the BBC, parts of RAF Kinloss, in Moray, could be closed as part of the spending cuts.
Thousands of defence jobs in Whitehall and unspecified military and civilian positions within the armed forces are also at risk.
Ainsworth is expected to use the money saved to buy more than 20 Chinook helicopters over the next 10 years, following prolonged criticism about the number of helicopters available to British forces in Afghanistan.
While extra equipment has to be funded from the MoD’s existing budget, the National Audit Office has said that if the defence budget is not increased, the department faces a £36bn deficit over the next decade.
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