So bad are shortages of RAF aircraft the French air force has been asked to fly British troops for part of the exercise, senior sources said.

The two-week manoeuvre in Scotland, called Joint Warrior, was intended to fully test the UK’s ability to deploy naval, air and ground forces to “out of area” conflicts such as Libya.

The biggest Nato war games for UK troops in more than a decade, Joint Warrior was designed so that commanders can achieve “full operational capability”. The exercises are vital for “contingency operations” such as a terrorist threat during the Olympics.

One scenario saw an amphibious landing, followed by an infantry battalion being airlifted into action, as well as helicopter assaults and parachute drops.

However, furious troops had to carry out a “paper exercise” after the cash-strapped Ministry of Defence was forced to slash budgets.