Cameron eyes frontline female soldiers
Print Edition
Prime Minister David Cameron told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper he wanted to see female British soldiers training to fight on the frontline in 2016.
Cameron has asked the Ministry of Defence to be ready to post women in ground close-combat roles by the end of next year, after Washington announced this month its military will open all positions, including frontline combat roles, to women.
鈥淭he Defence Secretary (Michael Fallon) and I are united in wanting to see all roles in our armed forces opened up to women in 2016,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e already lifted a number of barriers in our armed forces with the introduction of female submariners and women reaching the highest ranks in all services.
鈥淲e should finish the job next year and open up ground combat roles to women.鈥
Female troops make up around 10 percent of Britain鈥檚 armed forces.
Women are currently banned from ground combat units 鈥渨here the primary role is to close with and kill the enemy.鈥
A review found 鈥渘o compelling evidence to prove women impair effectiveness in close combat situations,鈥 Fallon said.
However, the study called for further research by mid-2016 into the physiological demands of such roles over time.
鈥淚 hope that, following further work on our training regimes and equipment, we can open up combat roles to women in 2016,鈥 Fallon wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.
He insisted that whatever the outcome of the review, 鈥渃ombat effectiveness remains paramount.鈥
鈥淭raining standards cannot be lowered in order to accommodate women,鈥 he said, adding that not all female soldiers would pass the tests.
鈥淏ut by ensuring ability, not gender, determines who succeeds, we are giving everyone a chance to compete for any military role.鈥
Some frontline jobs were opened to women two decades ago, notably for medics, engineers and the artillery.
The new changes would apply to the infantry, Royal Marines, Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Air Force Regiment.
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