The army's coming home claims upbeat First Minister

Mr Salmond yesterday called the decision to end the RAF's association with Leuchars as "bitterly disappointing" but said that the move to increase "Scotland's army" from 3,500 to 6,500 was "very satisfactory" and much better than expected.

The SNP leader, speaking after the Commons announcement from Defence Secretary Liam Fox, described the extra troops being moved to form a new "multi-role brigade" at the Leuchars base as "restoring" the size of the army presence in Scotland to that of more than ten years ago.

However, the First Minister said it was "sad" and a "severe blow" that Scotland had been left with just one RAF base, at Lossiemouth.

He said: "The statement is a bit like the curate's egg. Good in parts, but not in others.

"The RAF decision is a very severe blow and is a 60 per cent loss for Scotland.

"It's very positive indeed for the army and it's the first time in a generation that Scotland's army will reflect the contribution Scotland makes to the army.

"The overall economic impact is positive. This is restoring Scotland to where it should be.

"Scotland has had to bear the brunt in the decline of defence spending in the past ten years and this is restoring the position. At last Scotland is getting its proper share."

Drawing an almost inevitable comparison, Mr Salmond went on to claim that the increase in troop levels in Scotland means the country would eventually have an army the size of that of the Republic of Ireland, a Nationalist bench-mark, along with the armed forces of Norway.

He said: "The current army presence in Scotland will be more than doubled, thanks to the arrival of … military personnel to form a new multi-role brigade headquarters at Leuchars.

"The size of Scotland's army will increase … returning us to where we should rightfully be."

While true in simple numerical terms, the comparison ignores the fact the Irish army is a self-contained force, featuring specialist units such as engineers, intelligence elements and the like.

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The elements of the British Army relocating to Scotland would most likely not include all the different types of specialised units.

The First Minister went on to claim that the UK government's decision to keep the "frontline flying role" at RAF Lossiemouth would protect "high skilled" employment in Scotland.

He said: "Today's announcement by the UK government is, broadly speaking, welcome news. It is excellent news that the RAF is to remain in Moray, and I appreciate how welcome today's announcement is for the community there and for all of us who value the RAF's presence in Scotland.

"Today's decision means the armed forces are not only staying in Leuchars but increasing their presence there. We can look forward to an influx of highly skilled professionals moving to Fife, including military logisticians and engineers, which is great news for the local economy.

"Not only that, the majority of these servicemen and women are parents who have families they will bring with them - they will raise their children here and be an asset to our communities for years to come.

"Scotland has historically punched above its weight in contributing to the armed forces. I am glad to see that commitment has been recognised by the UK government.

"What should be understood is that the Home Basing Strategy being pursued by the army means that army bases will have a much more substantial economic impact throughout the communities they serve. In many senses, therefore, today's statement represents the army coming home."

However, Mr Salmond called for a swift transition in moving the army to Leuchars, to avoid a gap between the withdrawal of the RAF from the base.

He said: "Some important concerns must be addressed, and they must be addressed quickly. The communities of Moray and Fife have already been kept waiting long enough for today's decision and Fife should not be left hanging any longer to find out about the detail of the transition.

"It is bitterly disappointing that the RAF is to be withdrawn from Leuchars. We campaigned vigorously alongside the people of Moray and Fife to keep the RAF in both Lossiemouth and Leuchars. There is an overwhelming case to keep both but the decision was ultimately one for the UK government.

"And I am sad to see the RAF go and leave Scotland with one RAF base. However, I believe flying capability can still be retained at Leuchars if the UK government use it as an embarkation point for the army."

The First Minister said that he had "no complaints" about talks between the Scottish and UK governments over the issue.

He said: "It's a very, very strong announcement. The announcement is much better than expected."