More than 1,500 military personnel to lose their jobs

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has announced in a Commons statement to MPs that up to 1,425 members of the Army and up to 70 medical and dental officers from the RAF and up to 10 from the Royal Navy are to be made redundant

It has not been confirmed which battalions are affected although the redundancy programme will not impact adversely on current operations in Afghanistan, where some members of the Third Battalion the Mercian Regiment are serving currently.

The fourth tranche of redundancies is part of an armed forces re-structuring programme which will see the regular Army cut from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2020, while the newly-renamed Army Reserve - formerly the Territorial Army - is being expanded from 19,000 to 30,000.

Mr Hammond said: “Tough decisions had to be made to balance the Defence budget and this included restructuring the Armed Forces to create a more sustainable military.

“This fourth and final tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme will draw a line under the uncertainty of the last four years, bringing a renewed sense of security about the future to our servicemen and women.

“Everyone selected for redundancy will get all the support they need to make a smooth transition to civilian life, including a new option to get an advance on redundancy packages, giving everyone a greater opportunity to buy their own home at a time that suits them.

“Our Armed Forces in the future will be properly equipped, sustainable and better placed to meet the challenges of the future.”