Mr Blair has grand ambitions for more intervention abroad, especially in Africa, but Britain's regular armed forces are overstretched.

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It is estimated there are more than 200 people from the Isle of Man serving in the regular armed forces and about 65 in the reserves.

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Last year Defence Secretary Philip Hammond revealed plans to cut the size of the regular armed forces from 102, 000 to 82, 000, while increasing the number of reserves to 30, 000.

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Mr Robathan said the government would ensure the reserve forces had modern equipment and vehicles to make the change possible but he said it would require a change in the attitudes of society and the regular armed forces.

BBC: Tory backbenchers criticise plan to cut regular army

Thailand and Australia hold regular exercises with the United States, which has quietly upgraded its ties with the Indonesian armed forces too.

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