British army to get extra £8bn of kit as part of radical shake-up

Defence secretary says Future Soldier programme will reconfigure army to face next-generation threats

The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, has announced a radical reorganisation of the British army, with an additional 8.6bn to be spent on equipment and a new ranger regiment created to help counter extremist organisations and hostile state threats.

The Future Soldier programme would reconfigure the army to address next-generation threats around the globe, positioning it as a globally engaged, modernised war-fighting force, Wallace told MPs.