Senior defence officers in Britain face the axe
By IANSTuesday, August 3, 2010
LONDON - High-ranking defence officers in Britain, including brigadiers and major generals, are likely to face the axe following a military spending review, a media report said Tuesday.
Top defence officers hope to reduce up to 8 million pounds a year by axing senior staff across the three services, The Sun reported.
The shake-up includes the removal of 17 brigadiers and a handful of major-generals may also be removed.
Similar cuts will take place among equivalent ranks within the navy and the air force.
“The one certainty is that the cuts will be deep and across the board - and it won’t just be the average squaddie who feels the pinch. It is felt that there are areas where top brass can be streamlined and some of the top jobs are under threat. Those posts identified will be axed and the people in them paid off.
“One and two star generals, and their RAF (Royal Air Force) and navy equivalents are certainly in the firing line,” The Sun quoted a source as saying.
The defence ministry is understood to be under pressure to save 10 to 20 percent of its 36.9 billion pounds budget.
The cutting of senior defence officers jobs will cost millions in “golden goodbye” payments.
“Axing so many senior staff will cost millions in settlement payments, which could cause a stink among the lower ranks. It is one thing to decide to cull senior jobs, but it is another to agree settlements,” the source said.
