Washington, August 10 (Saba) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended axeing one of the ten major US military commands in a major reallocation of defense spending, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Gates said the Joint Forces Command would close, the use of outside contractors would be cut and the number of generals and admirals reduced. He has said that he wants to find savings of about $100bn (?63bn) in the military budget in the next five years. Gates said he wanted to free up spending for frontline requirements.

In a Pentagon news conference, he said the military had grown unwieldy and costly following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

"I''m not satisfied with the progress made to reduce our over-reliance on contractors," he said. The Joint Forces Command, based in Virginia, employs 5,000 people and trains troops from the different services to work together. Calling the US military "top-heavy", Gates, who was appointed by George W Bush in 2006, said he would recommend eliminating at least 50 positions for generals and admirals.

And he recommended cutting the number of support contractors by 10%. The US Department of Defense will spend more than $700bn this year, according to the (BBC), more than any other military service in the world.

US President Barack Obama praised Gates'' announcement as part of efforts to "reform the way the Pentagon does business".

"The funds saved will help us sustain the current force structure and make needed investments in modernization in a fiscally responsible way," he said in a statement.

Saba