UK army to cut number of troops

The size of the British army is to be reduced to 72,500 soldiers by 2025 as part of a move towards drones and cyber warfare, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, Report informs referring to BBC.

He set out plans for new capabilities such as electronic warfare and drones in the Commons.

The Army currently has 76,500 personnel and has not been at its "established strength" of 82,000 troops since the middle of the last decade, Wallace said.

"These changes will not require redundancies and we wish to build on the work already done on utilizing our reserves to make sure the whole force is better integrated and more productive," he said.

A cut to the size of the Army had been anticipated - with a reduction of 10,000 widely trailed.

What Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced was a cut to the target for the number of fully trained people in the Army, from 82,040 today to 72,500 in 2025.

"Full-time trained strength" is the number of soldiers who have completed both their general, basic training and a second phase of specialized training for a specific role.