Roundup: British defense ministry to sell more than 90 sites as part of 5 bln USD investment

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced on Monday that over 5 billion U.S.dollars is be invested to create a better defense estate for Britain's armed forces and their families.

In what are the most significant changes to defense land since the second World War, 91 sites owned or managed by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) are set to be sold. Many of the sites will be used for housebuilding, creating thousands of new homes across the country.

The MOD said all money raised from the sales of the sites will be reinvested back into defense, creating areas of military expertise in specific locations around the country.

Fallon said: "We have been spending billions maintaining a defense estate that doesn't meet the needs of our armed forces. This plan delivers an estate fit for our forces and their families. By putting money where it is needed, we will provide better facilities to train our armed forces and deliver more stability for military families.

"As well as saving the taxpayer money, around 140 million pounds (174 million U.S.dollars) by the end of the decade, the changes will reduce the number of personnel being regularly moved between different bases, providing greater long-term stability and certainty for our armed forces and their families."

"The plan will see sites and bases moved to locations that offer better opportunities for military families, increasing employment prospects for partners and spouses, helping them to settle into communities, buy their own homes and have their children benefit from more stable schooling."

Fallon's announcement followed a pledge last week to invest over 1.36 billion U.S.dollars in facilities on Salisbury Plain in southern England to support troops returning from Germany.

It means that in total more than 6.2 billion U.S.dollars has been earmarked to Britain's defense infrastructure in the last two weeks.

The sale of 13,150 hectares of defense land will see the disposal of 10 surplus airfields, some with aircraft hangars and runways, and five golf courses, providing enough land for 55,000 new homes.

The Better Defense Estates strategy will reduce the size of the built military estate by 30 percent by 2040.

An MOD spokesman said: "Approximately 40 percent of our built assets are over 50 years old and do not meet the needs of a modern fighting force."

Many of Britain's best known and oldest military sites will be sold, including parts of Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, the army's largest garrison.

Eight military sites in Scotland will be closed.

The MOD also announced Monday that Britain has been chosen to be a global repair hub providing maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for F-35 warplanes.

The work, to be carried out in North Wales, will generate hundreds of millions of U.S.dollars of revenue for the British defense industry, with the potential to unlock more than 2.5 billion U.S.dollars worth of future F-35 support revenue over the lifetime of the program.

Fallon said: "This establishes Britain as a hub for all European F35s and is hugely positive news for our high-tech and innovative defence industry. It is an endorsement of the skills and capabilities the UK offers; will help create hundreds of high-end jobs, safeguard thousands more and be a substantial boost to UK exports." Endit