WASHINGTON, Jan 20: Some 37,000 US soldiers are deploying to the Gulf region from Fort Hood in Texas, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The spokesman could not say if the troops were an additional deployment or if the soldiers were included in orders already announced by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

In London, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said Britain would deploy 26,000 ground troops, including the “Desert Rats” of the 7th Armoured Brigade, and 120 tanks to the Gulf.

Hoon announced the deployment in a statement to the House of Commons in which he stressed that a war could still be averted if Iraq “disarms voluntarily”.

The mobilization — representing nearly a quarter of the entire British army — includes 120 Challenger 2 tanks and the 16 Air Assault Brigade, Hoon said.

“This is a high readiness, balanced and flexible force package, bringing together a wide range of capabilities,” he said.

He said the troops, currently in Britain and Germany, would be moving to the Gulf “in the days and weeks ahead.”

The deployment also involves 150 Warrior armoured personnel carriers, 32 AS-90 self-propelled guns, 18 light guns, and “a number of reconnaissance and other vehicles,” Hoon said.—AFP