Front Line First facts for kids

Front Line First: The Defence Cost Study was a plan by the United Kingdom government to save money on its military. It was announced on July 14, 1994. The person in charge of defence at the time, Malcolm Rifkind, shared the news.

This plan came a few years after another one called Options for Change. That earlier plan reduced the military after the Cold War ended. People often called this reduction a "peace dividend" because it meant less money was needed for war.

Some people, like Donald Anderson, a spokesman for the Labour Party, thought these new cuts were mainly about saving money for the government's money department (the Treasury). But Malcolm Rifkind said the main fighting parts of the military (the "front line") would not be harmed. He argued that the cuts were aimed at support staff and extra resources. Rifkind believed that the "Ministry of Defence and other headquarters at all levels are too large, too top heavy and too bureaucratic." This meant they had too many people in charge and too many complicated rules.

Key Changes from Front Line First

The "Front Line First" plan brought several important changes to the UK's military. These changes aimed to make the defence system more efficient and less costly.

Military Base Closures and Changes

• The Rosyth naval base was closed as a main naval base. It was kept open as a support place for the Royal Navy.
• Seventeen different military supply depots were closed down.
• Two out of three military hospitals were closed. Instead, special military sections were created inside regular NHS hospitals.
• Several military bases were closed, including:
  • RAF Scampton (a Royal Air Force base)
  • RAF Finningley (another Royal Air Force base)
  • RNAS Portland (a Royal Naval Air Station)
  • The Royal Marines Music School in Deal, Kent
  • RAF Laarbruch in Germany

Staff Reductions

• The number of civilian workers (people who are not soldiers but work for the Ministry of Defence) was reduced by 7%. This meant about 7,100 fewer jobs.
• The number of people serving in the armed forces (soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel) was reduced by 5%. This was a total of 11,600 fewer people.
  • The Royal Air Force saw the biggest reduction, with 7,500 fewer members.
  • The British Army had 2,200 fewer soldiers.
  • The Royal Navy had 1,900 fewer sailors.
• These staff cuts also included more than 20 very senior military and civilian positions, like those at the Major-General level and above.

Headquarters Mergers

• The separate headquarters for the Army, Navy, and Air Force were combined. They were merged into one big Joint Headquarters located at Northwood. This was done to make leadership more streamlined.

New Military Equipment Orders

Even with the cuts, the "Front Line First" plan also confirmed orders for important new military equipment. This showed that while support was being trimmed, the fighting capability was still a priority.

Tanks and Aircraft Upgrades

• The government confirmed an order for 259 new Challenger II tanks. These are powerful main battle tanks.
• An upgrade for 142 Tornado GR1s was confirmed. These were to be improved to the GR4 standard, making them more modern and effective.

Naval Vessels and Weapons

• An order for seven Sandown-class minehunters was confirmed. These ships are designed to find and destroy sea mines.
• The plan intended to spend £300 million on laser-guided bombs and laser designators. These are advanced weapons that use lasers to hit targets very accurately.
• The government planned to order 400,000 rounds of 51mm ammunition from British Aerospace's Royal Ordnance.
• A new type of nuclear submarine, called the Batch 2 Trafalgar class, was planned. These submarines would later become known as the Astute-class submarine class.
• A new type of amphibious assault ship was also ordered. These ships are designed to carry troops and equipment for landings on enemy shores. They would later become the Albion-class landing platform dock class.
• The plan also included studying the possibility of getting Tomahawk cruise missiles. These are long-range guided missiles.

See also

• Options for Change (1990)
• Strategic Defence Review (1998)
• Delivering Security in a Changing World (2003)
• Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010