Overhaul of armed forces 'massively important for Scotland'

The UK government is insisting the nation’s defences will not be weakened by the shedding of thousands of Army jobs over the next four years.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack offered the reassurance during a visit to RAF Lossiemouth on Tuesday.

As part of the plans, the airbase will become home to three early warning and surveillance E-7 Wedgetail aircraft in 2023.

Jack told service personnel at the Moray air base that the shake-up would “fortify and extend the position of the UK, and Scotland in particular, as a global science and technology superpower”.

While personnel numbers will be cut, he said the UK’s armed forces will build on cyber strengths and “capabilities in the frontiers of cyberspace”.

Part of that will entail the development of a national space strategy. The UK space industry currently generates an income of £14.8bn annually.

More satellites are produced in Scotland than any country in Western Europe.

The Scottish secretary said: “Scotland will remain at the heart of this national effort.

“We will launch British satellites from Scotland by 2022 as part of the UK Space Agency’s programme to enable a UK-wide market for spaceflight services.”

He added: “The threats of the 21st century are different.

“We need to be prepared for high-tech warfighting and to defend ourselves from cyber attacks and disinformation. We will play our part in this within a strong NATO.”