Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that Britain will increase is spending on the War in Afghanistan by £1.5 billion over the next 12 months to take its total to £5 billion next year.
The extra cash will give the British military more helicopters, more unmanned drones and more Jackal and Husky vehicles to take on the Taliban.
And ministers have pledged that Britain's defence spending will not be cut.
Cuts are expected to hit several departments of Whitehall, but the annual budget for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is £35 billion (US$56 billion) for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11.
The UK is the world's second largest defence spender.
251 British soldiers have so far lost their lives in the conflict in Afghanistan.
The amount spent by Britain on the war in Afghanistan is to be boosted by £1.5 billion to £5 billion over the next 12 months.
By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor
30 Jan 2010
The Telegraph
The overall annual budget for the Ministry of Defence, which is £35 billion for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11 Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS
Government sources said the extra cash will fund more helicopters and unmanned drone aircraft for UK troops fighting the Taliban in Helmand Province as well as equipment designed to offer better protection from roadside bombs.
In a further move to shore up military spending, ministers will shortly announce that the overall annual budget for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is £35 billion for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11.
They will say the move will protect the department from cuts which are certain to hit the rest of Whitehall.
The MoD will become the first specific department to be given such a guarantee by Labour, which has previously only pledged to ring-fence spending on individual policy areas such as schools and the police.
Gordon Brown will challenge the Tories to match the government's commitment.
The decision to increase funding for Britain's Afghan operation, which comes out of the nation's contingency reserve rather than the MoD budget, from £3.5 billion this financial year to £5 billion in 2010-11 follows intense criticism that Mr Brown has not done enough to protect UK troops, more than 250 of whom have lost their lives there since 2001.
The world's biggest defence spenders, 2006 (billions of US dollars)
1) US: 667.7
2) Britain: 57.67
3) France: 54.59
4) Germany: 38.15
5) Italy: 33.45
6) Turkey: 30.94
7) Canada: 18.29
8 ) Spain: 14.3
9) Netherlands: 10.2
10) Greece: 7.3
It is understood that the announcement was originally scheduled to be a pledge in the run up to the general election – but is now to be brought forward.
A senior government source said: "The PM is determined to make sure that our troops in Afghanistan have whatever they need."
The Tories have promised to ring-fence health and international development but not to do the same for defence spending.
News of the spending boost comes ahead of this week's MoD green paper which will foreshadow the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.
A leaked government document obtained by Sky News on Saturday warned that Britain could face an increase in the number of troops dying on the front line in future conflicts.
The document also warned that Britain's traditional military supremacy is likely to be undermined by enemies becoming more technologically advanced.
Tony Blair, meanwhile, has blamed weak "political leadership" for the unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan in what could be seen as a swipe at Mr Brown.
Asked by a Spanish newspaper why people were opposed to sending troops to the country he said: "Because what is needed is very strong political leadership which knows how to explain to people the danger we are talking about."
telegraph.co.uk
The extra cash will give the British military more helicopters, more unmanned drones and more Jackal and Husky vehicles to take on the Taliban.
And ministers have pledged that Britain's defence spending will not be cut.
Cuts are expected to hit several departments of Whitehall, but the annual budget for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is £35 billion (US$56 billion) for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11.
The UK is the world's second largest defence spender.
251 British soldiers have so far lost their lives in the conflict in Afghanistan.
The amount spent by Britain on the war in Afghanistan is to be boosted by £1.5 billion to £5 billion over the next 12 months.
By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor
30 Jan 2010
The Telegraph
The overall annual budget for the Ministry of Defence, which is £35 billion for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11 Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS
Government sources said the extra cash will fund more helicopters and unmanned drone aircraft for UK troops fighting the Taliban in Helmand Province as well as equipment designed to offer better protection from roadside bombs.
In a further move to shore up military spending, ministers will shortly announce that the overall annual budget for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is £35 billion for the current year (2009-10) will be "ring-fenced" for 2010-11.
They will say the move will protect the department from cuts which are certain to hit the rest of Whitehall.
The MoD will become the first specific department to be given such a guarantee by Labour, which has previously only pledged to ring-fence spending on individual policy areas such as schools and the police.
Gordon Brown will challenge the Tories to match the government's commitment.
The decision to increase funding for Britain's Afghan operation, which comes out of the nation's contingency reserve rather than the MoD budget, from £3.5 billion this financial year to £5 billion in 2010-11 follows intense criticism that Mr Brown has not done enough to protect UK troops, more than 250 of whom have lost their lives there since 2001.
The world's biggest defence spenders, 2006 (billions of US dollars)
1) US: 667.7
2) Britain: 57.67
3) France: 54.59
4) Germany: 38.15
5) Italy: 33.45
6) Turkey: 30.94
7) Canada: 18.29
8 ) Spain: 14.3
9) Netherlands: 10.2
10) Greece: 7.3
It is understood that the announcement was originally scheduled to be a pledge in the run up to the general election – but is now to be brought forward.
A senior government source said: "The PM is determined to make sure that our troops in Afghanistan have whatever they need."
The Tories have promised to ring-fence health and international development but not to do the same for defence spending.
News of the spending boost comes ahead of this week's MoD green paper which will foreshadow the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.
A leaked government document obtained by Sky News on Saturday warned that Britain could face an increase in the number of troops dying on the front line in future conflicts.
The document also warned that Britain's traditional military supremacy is likely to be undermined by enemies becoming more technologically advanced.
Tony Blair, meanwhile, has blamed weak "political leadership" for the unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan in what could be seen as a swipe at Mr Brown.
Asked by a Spanish newspaper why people were opposed to sending troops to the country he said: "Because what is needed is very strong political leadership which knows how to explain to people the danger we are talking about."
telegraph.co.uk