Training cut plan to plug Army gaps

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Under plans being considered by the Army, some newly-enlisted soldiers would spend just 14 weeks on a combat infantry course instead of the normal 26-28 weeks, according to The Times newspaper.

The move has been proposed because all of the battalions due to replace 52 Brigade in Afghanistan next year are currently at least 100 soldiers below required strength, the paper said.

An unnamed senior defence source told The Times: "I would be very nervous of having to deploy with this limited level of expertise and experience in the frontline companies."

In December Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged that British force levels in Afghanistan would remain at 7,800 troops.

The current UK military commitment to the country technically ends in October 2009, but the Government has insisted it will be involved for the "long term".

The Ministry of Defence would not comment in detail on the Times report, although it admitted training had been "adapted".

An MoD spokesman said: "There is no question of training being compromised. We have adapted our training in terms of our operational requirement and we are taking action in terms of the manning challenges."

An influential group of MPs warned on Monday that the huge strains on Britain's armed services were driving out experienced personnel and undermining morale.

The Defence Select Committee said the forces' performance was "deteriorating" after five years of running at full stretch in Afghanistan and Iraq.