Britain scales back military as budget cuts bite

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will delay renewing its nuclear deterrent and cut back its army, navy and air force, the government said on Tuesday, but the scale of the reductions was far smaller than of those facing other government departments.

Britain will on Wednesday unveil the harshest spending cuts for a generation, aimed at reducing a record budget deficit, but the traditionally pro-military Conservative Party, which leads the coalition government, has succeeded in minimising defence cuts, outlined on Tuesday in a military review.