Britain: Women to fight on front line

London: Women will soon fight alongside men on the front line for the first time in the history of the British military after a review into relaxing the restrictions on female troops joining combat units.

The Ministry of Defence is moving towards the change after a six-month study into whether women are suitable for the rigours of the front line. The report, while making no firm recommendation, is said to have assuaged doubts within the MoD. Senior sources have told The Daily Telegraph they are prepared to open up front-line combat roles to women.

The MoD is expected to announce the findings of the review before the end of the year. Sources said that the government believes it is increasingly difficult to justify the restrictions on women, which have already been lifted in America, Australia and Canada. A senior Whitehall source said: “The review has so far not been conclusive and more research is needed. But overall the MoD is leaning towards making the change.” Women are currently banned from ground combat units “where the primary role is to close with and kill the enemy”.

It means they are barred from infantry battalions, armoured regiments and the Royal Marines. The MoD announced the review earlier this year after Philip Hammond, then defence secretary, said he wanted to send the message that the military is open “to all who can meet the standards”.

He said there would be no compromise on physical fitness. The report was first overseen by the then head of the Army, Gen Sir Peter Wall, and continued by his successor, Gen Sir Nick Carter. It has looked at whether women are strong and tough enough to serve in infantry units and whether they would put at risk the cohesion of front-line units.

Sources said there was evidence from deployments to Afghanistan that women were more prone to injury when carrying large amounts of kit for long periods. The research has been inconclusive on whether women harm front-line camaraderie.

Critics have warned that men and women are bound to form relationships which could disrupt close-knit units. Military chiefs expect only a small number of women will be interested in combat roles and able to pass the tests. One source said: “We may only be talking about a few dozen.” Col Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, expressed concern. “To get out of a trench and attack a machine-gun requires a certain comradeship and cohesion. I believe that is at its greatest when it’s between a band of brothers, that is between men.”

Women make up around 10 per cent of the British military, and can already fly fighter jets and helicopter gunships and serve on submarines. Joanne Mackowski, who is researching the issue at the Royal United Services Institute, said women had already been serving in combat roles in Afghanistan where there was no defined front line.