Fears over cost of missile defence

Sir Michael is worried missile defence could cost too much

Britain cannot afford to pursue plans for a missile defence system unless its armed forces receive major additional funding, the chief of defence staff has said.

Admiral Sir Michael Boyce added that the fighting capability of Britain's armed forces would be undermined if they were forced to invest money from existing budgets.

"Under our present defence budget, we could not maintain sensible expeditionary activity and pay for missile defence," he said.

Sir Michael warned that countries were continuing to develop ballistic missiles with an intercontinental range capability and it would be "silly" not to look at how Britain could counter the threat they posed.

"We should do nothing to the armed forces which diminish our fighting effectiveness.

Admiral Sir Michael Boyce

But he expressed concern about the likely high cost of an adequate defence system, and said other capabilities would be reduced unless the government provided additional money.

The intervention comes as pressure increases on Prime Minister Tony Blair to accept US proposals for its National Missile Defence system - dubbed 'Son of Star Wars'.

The programme, which Mr Blair discussed with President George W Bush in the US last week, would require Britain to permit the use of Fylingdales radar base in Yorkshire.

Women soldiers

Giving evidence to the Commons Defence Committee, Sir Michael also told MPs he had no "moral objection" to allowing women soldiers to fight on the front line.

"The distinction is lost on me whether you are going to die horribly in a fireball in a ship hit by an Exocet or in a muddy field," he said.

But he stressed there needed to be further study into the likely effects on military effectiveness before any change could be made.

Sir Michael welcomed the integration of women into the navy and air force.

He said: "They are performing extremely well, often in just as dangerous places as they would be as infantry.

"But we need to study very, very hard indeed before women can come into [close combat].

"We should do nothing to the armed forces which diminish our fighting effectiveness.

"It is a lot different putting women in a ship than it is putting them in a trench."

'Multiple pressures'

The Army is currently assessing whether to allow women to serve in front-line combat units, with a report due to go to ministers in the spring.

Sir Michael told MPs the armed forces were facing multiple pressures that could diminish Britain's fighting ability.

These were a tight budget, competing demands from different military operations, and problems of retaining staff.

Although conceding there had been a "small increase" in the defence budget last year, and pledging to look for more savings, Sir Michael said he "would very much like to see that budget increased".

'Continuing to improve'

It would be "some years" before recruitment targets were hit in all three forces, but "we are continuing to improve", he insisted.

Sir Michael moved to reassure MPs that plans for a European rapid reaction force would not damage Britain's relationship with Nato.

He said Nato would remain "the cornerstone of our defence", and added that Britain would not be involved in any operation where Nato itself wanted to be engaged.

Explaining the changing nature of his role, Sir Michael told MPs there was a need for the armed services to "project" themselves in the media.

Sir Michael: 'Nato the cornerstone of our defence'

"It is a problem getting recognition that we exist at all", he said.

"It was a mistake in 1982 [during the Falklands war] not to have a military person in front of cameras to explain what was happening."

Sir Michael has not wasted time in putting his views into practice.

In a recent press interview, the new head of Britain's armed forces has blamed an "indulgent" and "soft" society for failing to produce good quality recruits for the services.

Sir Michael, the former Chief of the Naval Staff, took up his post earlier this month, succeeding General Sir Charles Guthrie.

He is the first Royal Navy man in overall charge of Britain's armed forces for 12 years, after a selection process he said was "a little opaque".