Up to 2700 RAF personnel are to be made redundant as part of bracing cuts to UK military spending.
But the MoD insisted that the cuts, which come amid continued speculation over the future of RAF Leuchars in Fife, would be spread across the UK and not focused on a particular base.
The job losses are part of a 17,000 total reduction in armed forces staff outlined in last year’s strategic defence review by the UK Government.
On Tuesday the RAF, which must cut its headcount by a total of 5000, became the first service to give more detail on its plans.
Some of the posts will go by natural wastage, but 2700 redundancies will be required.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed two Tornado fighter squadrons one based in RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and one at RAF Marham in Norfolk are to be disbanded in June.
It is widely believed one of the three bases Lossiemouth, Leuchars or Marham will eventually close, but the MoD insisted the decision to disband the squadrons would not impact on which base closed.
Outlining the plans for the first tranche of redundancies, an MoD spokesman said, “Although this is a compulsory programme, volunteers will be sought.
“However, it is essential that the services are able to select non-volunteers and reject less-suitable volunteers to ensure they have the right number of people, with the right skills, in the right jobs.”
All RAF staff, including those in Afghanistan, have been told that the service intends to make 1020 redundancies within six months.
This first of four tranches will be made up of 170 trainee pilots, 200 weapons operators, more than 500 ground staff and 121 other officers up to the rank of air commodore.’Incredible’ timingEach service will run a number of redundancy tranches over the next four years with the full reduction in place by April 2015.
Defence secretary Dr Liam Fox insisted the redundancies would be handled with “the utmost sensitivity.”
“We need to re-structure our forces to ensure that they are sufficiently flexible and adaptable to meet the demands of an uncertain future,” he said.
“The decisions we are making are not easy but they will help to defend the UK, protect our interests overseas and enable us to work effectively with allies and partners to deliver greater security and stability in the wider world.”
But shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the timing of the announcement, which came at a time of sustained unrest in the Middle East, was “incredible.”
“At the same time as planning a no-fly zone over Libya, the Tory-led government chooses today of all days to sack RAF personnel,” he said.
“The pilots will be stunned and the country will be confused.”
Reacting to the MoD statement, SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson, who has spearheaded the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth, said the cuts were “unwelcome and badly timed.”
“Many servicemen and servicewomen as well as civilian staff are just learning that they face personal redundancy. It is an awful time for them and their families,” he said.
Overall, the armed forces are being cut by 17,000 from 175,000 to 158,000. The 102,000-strong army will lose 7000, the navy’s 35,000 will be cut by 5000 and the RAF’s 38,000 by the same number. The army and navy will publish details of their redundancy scheme on April 4.