The Prime Minister has outlined the Government’s long term strategy in Afghanistan, promising more support for troops and a stronger focus on increasing the presence of the Afghan army.

During a speech to the Institute of International Strategic Studies, Gordon Brown said the more Afghans can take responsibility for security in the short term, the less coalition forces will be needed in the long term

The Prime Minister also said British troops would speed up training of afghan forces and move to partnering with them: 'living, training and fighting alongside them'.

He added that said Government was committed to ensuring that British forces have the resources necessary to do their job and promised ongoing investment in helicopters and vehicles. He said:

'We have since 2006 spent over £1billion from the reserve on new vehicles for Afghanistan, including 280 mastiffs which offer world-leading protection against IEDs. Between November 2006 and April this year we increased the number of helicopter hours by 84 per cent - and on top of that, as well sharing coalition helicopters, we lease hundreds of hours each month from commercial operators for routine supplies.'

Outlining the reasons that the UK, and coalition partners, are in Afghanistan, he said:

'Our aim in 2009 is the same as in 2001. We are in Afghanistan as a result of a hard-headed assessment of the terrorist threat facing Britain.

And we are part of a coalition of more than 40 countries embracing not just NATO - with the Danes and Estonians alongside British troops in Helmand - but countries like Australia.

So this remains, above all, an international mission: not just a mission to protect the British people from the threat of terrorism but an international mission involving over 40 countries - with the full support of the UN, the G8, NATO and the EU - because we all face the same threat.

It remains my judgement that a safer Britain requires a safer Afghanistan and in Afghanistan last week, I was further convinced that, despite the challenges we face, a nation emerging from three decades of violence can be healed and strengthened; and that our country and the whole world can be safer; because together we have the values, the strategy and the resolve to complete our vital task.'

Read the Prime Ministers speech

Number 10 website

UKinAfghanistan British Embassy website