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Ministers insist they are planning for the long term and decision taken will not compromise security
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The way the recent defence review was handled has "badly damaged" morale across the armed forces, a Ministry of Defence document has suggested.
An internal assessment, leaked to the Daily Telegraph, expresses concern about the speed of the process and lack of briefing of military personnel.
Up to 17,000 service personnel are set to lose their jobs under the proposals.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the document was not "official" and service chiefs had fully supported the process.
Published last month, the strategic defence and security review promises the most far-reaching shake-up of the armed forces and the MoD's civilian operations for decades.
Key decisions included the immediate scrapping of the Ark Royal aircraft carrier, the retirement of the Royal Navy's Harrier jump jet fleet and the cancellation of the planned Nimrod spy planes.
The Daily Telegraph said it had obtained an internal MoD analysis of the process written by a group chaired by one of the department's most senior civilian officials.
It said the paper - entitled Lessons Identified - raised concerns that the process had "badly damaged the confidence and morale of our personnel".
The speed at which the review, overseen by the National Security Council chaired by David Cameron, took place meant there was insufficient time to consult allies, to take on board external advice and to prepare serving personnel for the scale of the shake-up proposed, it suggested.
"At Cabinet Office direction, there was no pre-briefing of the chain of command and no pre-warning of units affected by the changes," the document is reported to have said.
"The combination of well-sourced media stories on final decisions and these restrictions on internal communications have... created a poor baseline for implementation."
Critics have said the review was driven by the search for huge savings rather than future security needs.
While the defence budget is to be cut by 8% by 2015, this is well below the average 19% squeeze facing most government departments and less severe than had been anticipated prior to negotiations between Mr Fox and Treasury ministers in the run-up to the Spending Review.
During those negotiations, a letter from Dr Fox to Mr Cameron was leaked, warning that the proposed level of cuts being contemplated was "draconian" and the process risked becoming "indefensible".
Responding on Friday, Dr Fox said the document obtained by the Daily Telegraph did not reflect MoD thinking and he did not agree with its conclusions.
"This is not an official document. A junior official drafted a document which was not authorised, requested or seen by any MoD minister," he said.
"While I am not going to comment on the details of a leaked document, the process and its outcomes have been supported throughout by myself, my ministerial team and the service chiefs.
KEY POINTS OF REVIEWHarrier jump jet retiredNimrod spy plane cancelled5,000 RAF personnel axed over five years5,000 Navy personnel cut7,000 army personnel cut25,000 civilian MoD staff axedTrident replaced but £750m savings from fewer warheadsTwo aircraft carriers saved, but one will not enter serviceDefence review at-a-glance Q&A: strategic defence and security review
"The review will deliver a modern armed forces fit for the range of tasks that we face. It was based on a rigorous assessment of our priorities, proper consultation with allies, and thorough discussion with the chiefs and their services."
A No 10 spokesman said the prime minister "absolutely" agreed with Dr Fox's comments.
But Labour said the leak demonstrated the entire process had been flawed.
"There will be real surprise that the government didn't consult our allies, didn't consult our forces and didn't consult the public," said shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy.
"Decisions were stitched up in Whitehall to meet the government's spending plans, not our nation's security needs
"We all know the defence review created big gaps in our defence capability, and now it is clear there is a gaping chasm in the government's credibility."
Former First Sea Lord and ex-Labour minister Lord West said the document illustrated the fact that many serving personnel felt "very bruised" by the apparent lack of consultation.
"The feeling people were not told is very clear and that is a concern," he told the BBC's Daily Politics.
However, he said the document "did not necessarily" reflect the opinions of the Chiefs of Staff and other senior military commanders.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ministers insist they are planning for the long term and decision taken will not compromise security Related stories
The way the recent defence review was handled has "badly damaged" morale across the armed forces, a Ministry of Defence document has suggested.
An internal assessment, leaked to the Daily Telegraph, expresses concern about the speed of the process and lack of briefing of military personnel.
Up to 17,000 service personnel are set to lose their jobs under the proposals.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the document was not "official" and service chiefs had fully supported the process.
Published last month, the strategic defence and security review promises the most far-reaching shake-up of the armed forces and the MoD's civilian operations for decades.
Key decisions included the immediate scrapping of the Ark Royal aircraft carrier, the retirement of the Royal Navy's Harrier jump jet fleet and the cancellation of the planned Nimrod spy planes.
The Daily Telegraph said it had obtained an internal MoD analysis of the process written by a group chaired by one of the department's most senior civilian officials.
It said the paper - entitled Lessons Identified - raised concerns that the process had "badly damaged the confidence and morale of our personnel".
“A junior official drafted a document which was not authorised, requested or seen by any MoD minister”
Liam Fox Defence Secretary "At Cabinet Office direction, there was no pre-briefing of the chain of command and no pre-warning of units affected by the changes," the document is reported to have said.
"The combination of well-sourced media stories on final decisions and these restrictions on internal communications have... created a poor baseline for implementation."
Critics have said the review was driven by the search for huge savings rather than future security needs.
While the defence budget is to be cut by 8% by 2015, this is well below the average 19% squeeze facing most government departments and less severe than had been anticipated prior to negotiations between Mr Fox and Treasury ministers in the run-up to the Spending Review.
During those negotiations, a letter from Dr Fox to Mr Cameron was leaked, warning that the proposed level of cuts being contemplated was "draconian" and the process risked becoming "indefensible".
Responding on Friday, Dr Fox said the document obtained by the Daily Telegraph did not reflect MoD thinking and he did not agree with its conclusions.
"This is not an official document. A junior official drafted a document which was not authorised, requested or seen by any MoD minister," he said.
"While I am not going to comment on the details of a leaked document, the process and its outcomes have been supported throughout by myself, my ministerial team and the service chiefs.
KEY POINTS OF REVIEWHarrier jump jet retiredNimrod spy plane cancelled5,000 RAF personnel axed over five years5,000 Navy personnel cut7,000 army personnel cut25,000 civilian MoD staff axedTrident replaced but £750m savings from fewer warheadsTwo aircraft carriers saved, but one will not enter serviceDefence review at-a-glance Q&A: strategic defence and security review
"The review will deliver a modern armed forces fit for the range of tasks that we face. It was based on a rigorous assessment of our priorities, proper consultation with allies, and thorough discussion with the chiefs and their services."
A No 10 spokesman said the prime minister "absolutely" agreed with Dr Fox's comments.
But Labour said the leak demonstrated the entire process had been flawed.
"There will be real surprise that the government didn't consult our allies, didn't consult our forces and didn't consult the public," said shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy.
"Decisions were stitched up in Whitehall to meet the government's spending plans, not our nation's security needs
"We all know the defence review created big gaps in our defence capability, and now it is clear there is a gaping chasm in the government's credibility."
Former First Sea Lord and ex-Labour minister Lord West said the document illustrated the fact that many serving personnel felt "very bruised" by the apparent lack of consultation.
"The feeling people were not told is very clear and that is a concern," he told the BBC's Daily Politics.
However, he said the document "did not necessarily" reflect the opinions of the Chiefs of Staff and other senior military commanders.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.