Armed forces cut 20,000 jobs ahead of 2018 target

Figures show there are currently 81,700 full-time servicemen and women in the Army, which is down from 102,260 in 2010. Cuts to army personnel began after a restructure, which aimed to help reduce the UK budget deficit.

Plans to increase the number of trained reservists from 19,000 to 30,000 by 2019 are proving slow, however, with an increase of just 1,000 personnel since April 2012.

Col Kemp, a commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told the BBC News website: "To have already made the cuts by 2015, it shows confusion and targets that don't match up... it doesn't mean it's a good thing.

"The whole plan was to cover the gaps with reservists, but if you've not achieved that then it must mean that we have got deficiencies.

"Not only does that cause us concern about how we govern our people, but it is also the message we are sending to our enemies. That kind of message always shows aggression towards us."

Former Defence Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said: "If they have achieved what they set out to do then that must be satisfactory.

"The government had to have a strategy to deal with the economic situation. It was always going to be challenging to increase reserves at the same time.

"Will it be achieved? I think the jury is still out on that."

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