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3 April 2011
Last updated at 22:43 ET
The RAF will need "genuine increases" in its budget over the coming years if it is to run the range of operations ministers demand, its chief has said.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton told the Guardian the RAF was stretched to the limit, with operations over Libya planned for at least six months.
The Army and Royal Navy will set out details later of the first wave of job losses from October's defence review.
Ministers have denied the review was simply a "cost saving exercise".
'Core competencies' ACM Dalton said his assumption was that the RAF's warplanes and surveillance aircraft would be needed over Libya for a number of months, rather than weeks.
"In general terms [we] are now planning on the basis of at least six months, and we'll see where we go from there," he said.
He issued a warning that the RAF would need an increase in spending from the next Comprehensive Spending Review in 2014.
Without "genuine increases", he said the RAF would find it "very difficult" to maintain its current levels of capability - with operations in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Libya.
"The key factor is that if we are to meet the requirements laid upon us, there is no question that more investment will be needed to achieve that.
"What I am seeking to do is maintain core competencies and bricks on which we can then build the future."
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says the financial difficulties being faced by all three armed services will be underlined when the Army and Royal Navy set out their redundancy programmes later.
Soldiers and sailors in the groups targeted for job losses will be seen by their commanding officers on Tuesday.
'National security' It is expected that just under 600 personnel in the Army and 1,600 from the Royal Navy will be made redundant in September. The RAF spelled out its plans for 2,700 lay-offs last month.
In total, the RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of Defence 25,000 civilian staff.
Unveiling the strategic defence and security review in October, Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "step change in the way we protect this country's security interests".
He said the UK would still meet Nato's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence and would continue to have the fourth largest military in the world and "punch above its weight in the world".
But he said the country had to be "more thoughtful, more strategic and more co-ordinated in the way we advance our interests and protect our national security".
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Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton told the Guardian the RAF was stretched to the limit, with operations over Libya planned for at least six months.
The Army and Royal Navy will set out details later of the first wave of job losses from October's defence review.
Ministers have denied the review was simply a "cost saving exercise".
'Core competencies' ACM Dalton said his assumption was that the RAF's warplanes and surveillance aircraft would be needed over Libya for a number of months, rather than weeks.
"In general terms [we] are now planning on the basis of at least six months, and we'll see where we go from there," he said.
He issued a warning that the RAF would need an increase in spending from the next Comprehensive Spending Review in 2014.
Without "genuine increases", he said the RAF would find it "very difficult" to maintain its current levels of capability - with operations in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Libya.
"The key factor is that if we are to meet the requirements laid upon us, there is no question that more investment will be needed to achieve that.
"What I am seeking to do is maintain core competencies and bricks on which we can then build the future."
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says the financial difficulties being faced by all three armed services will be underlined when the Army and Royal Navy set out their redundancy programmes later.
Soldiers and sailors in the groups targeted for job losses will be seen by their commanding officers on Tuesday.
'National security' It is expected that just under 600 personnel in the Army and 1,600 from the Royal Navy will be made redundant in September. The RAF spelled out its plans for 2,700 lay-offs last month.
In total, the RAF and navy will lose 5,000 jobs each, the Army 7,000 and the Ministry of Defence 25,000 civilian staff.
Unveiling the strategic defence and security review in October, Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "step change in the way we protect this country's security interests".
He said the UK would still meet Nato's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence and would continue to have the fourth largest military in the world and "punch above its weight in the world".
But he said the country had to be "more thoughtful, more strategic and more co-ordinated in the way we advance our interests and protect our national security".
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