Defence cuts make Britain’s armed forces leaner but not meaner

AT AN ARMY base in Dorset, 16 soldiers nestle in the woodland next to dune buggies. Drones, some of them no larger than a sparrow, weave through the conifers above, beaming footage to a phone strapped to each soldier’s chest. Specialists in electronic warfare hoover up enemy signals; a member of Britain’s 77 Brigade, dedicated to psychological operations, clutches a camera.

Light, high-tech and globally deployed troops like these lie at the heart of a command paper published by the Ministry of Defence on March 22nd, building on a review of foreign policy the previous week. The soldiers are part of a new £120m ($165m) “Ranger Regiment”, modelled on America’s Green Berets, which will train and accompany friendly foreign troops and rebels in “high-threat and hostile environments”. The 1,000-strong regiment will deploy its first battalion next year, probably to east Africa.