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Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs billions of pounds would be invested to move the UK to "war-fighting readiness" in the face of a new era of threats from nuclear powers like Russia and China.

Britain's army needs to become "10 times more lethal" to face a "new era of threats", John Healey told MPs on Monday.

Healey said the changes would help "create a British Army which is 10 times more lethal".

Some 30,000 highly-skilled jobs would also be created through increased investment in research and weapons manufacturing, Healey said.

Defence Secretary John Healey has signalled he is not aiming to increase the overall size of the Army before the next general election.