£1bn boost for UK troops as MoD gets extra Budget funding to fight cyber-wars around the world
Philip Hammond pledged the cash will shore up Britain's position as a global military heavyweight
BRITAIN'S troops were today handed a £1billion boost to maintain the UK as a military heavyweight.
Philip Hammond used his Budget to increase funding for the Ministry of Defence.
The extra cash will be used to help see off cyber-threats from around the world and defend the military from submarine attacks.
The £1billion extra cash will be spread over the next two years, the Chancellor told the House of Commons.
He suggested it was needed to allow Britain to maintain its position as the highest-spending military power in the West after the US.
As well as the boost for the MoD, Mr Hammond also announced an extra £160million to go in to counter-terror policing.
He said: "The UK spends more on defence than any NATO member except the US.
"But over the last year we have had stark reminders of the scale, scope and complexity of the threats we face.
"So I will provide an additional £1billion to the MoD to cover the remainder of this year and next - to boost our cyber capabilities and our anti-submarine warfare capacity, and to maintain the pace of the Dreadnought programme to ensure continuous at-sea deterrence."
The Chancellor blasted Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell for wanting to scrap Britain's nuclear weapons altogether.
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He concluded: "Nobody should be in any doubt that on this side of the House we are proud of our Armed Forces and we will always back them with the investment they need to keep this country safe."
Mr Hammond today announced that austerity is coming to an end as public spending is set to rise next year.
He promised to pump more money into the NHS, schools, the road network and the benefits system.
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