The country's helicopter fleet is facing 20 per cent cuts as the Ministry of Defence carries out Treasury demands for savings, the Evening Standard has reported tonight.
The Army, RAF and Navy are to be slashed by Dr Fox as he fails to defend his department from David Cameron and George Osborne cut's agenda.
A secret internal MoD memo has revealed that Defence Secretary Liam Fox is demanding savings of £3.96 billion across rotary wing aircraft in the Army, Royal Navy and RAF.
Among a string of options drafted by officials is the scrapping of the entire new £1.7 billion Lynx Wildcat fleet, the phasing out of Sea Kings and the “deletion” of the Puma fleet.
The confidential paper submitted to the Strategic Defence and Security Review shows that other helicopters facing reductions in numbers are Chinooks and Merlins.
The helicopter cuts emerged as the Defence Secretary today underlined how much pressure the MoD was under to meet the Government's drive to reduce the national deficit. It brings back memories locally of the Conservative closure of the Chatham Dockyard which decimated the local community, and whose legacy, still remains in joblessness locally.
The plans for deep cuts – part of wider 10-20 per cent cuts to the MoD budget – have infuriated military chiefs who battled hard to get their budgets up for operations in Afghanistan.
Hypocrites, David Cameron and Dr Fox also repeatedly criticised Gordon Brown and Labour for failing to provide the armed forces with the helicopters they needed but they have now shown the true two-faced nature of the government.
The strategic defence review is set to be completed by next month, ahead of the October spending review. It is predicted to fundamentally undermine the military and will stretch the military covenant to breaking point.
Dr Fox is at war with the Prime Minister and Chancellor who want to cut funding for the military even further.
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