Nimrod jets return from action
Two Nimrod jets which saw eight weeks of service in the Gulf were today flying home to their base in north-east Scotland the day after military sources revealed that British ground forces in Iraq were being reduced by two thirds.
In the next few months, 3 Commando Brigade and 16 Air Assault Brigade will be drawn back leaving 7th Armoured Brigade in Iraq, a senior British military source said last night.
Meanwhile, families were waiting to welcome the crews of the Nimrod MR2s as they touch down on the Moray coast at RAF Kinloss.
The reconnaissance and maritime patrol jets were to set off from the Cypriot RAF base of Akrotiri in the early hours for the homecoming.
The Ministry of Defence is scaling down the role of the Nimrods in the Gulf, where they have been serving for 18 months.
Referring to the reduction in ground forces, a senior military source said: "The UK land commitment will be drawn down from three brigades to one brigade over the coming months."
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