DEFENCE Secretary Gavin Williamson has ripped up plans for a bitter new round of defence cuts to save 1,000 Royal Marines from the chop.

The newly promoted Cabinet minister has decided to refuse a Treasury demand for major savings from the MoD, The Sun can reveal.

3 Gavin Williamson has ripped up plans for defence cuts Credit: Crown Copyright

Instead, he will insist on £2bn more for the cash-strapped forces from Philip Hammond - sparking a major fight with the Chancellor.

Britain’s only two amphibious landing ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, will also be saved by the striking U-turn.

The brand new ships were also slated for the chop, under plans ordered by predecessor Sir Michael Fallon – who was forced to resign two weeks ago after sex pest allegations.

Mr Williamson this week told defence chiefs to tear up three eye-watering packages of options for the grim cuts, and draw up a proposal for the extra cash that he can take to the PM.

3 The new Defence Secretary will insist on £2bn more for the forces from Philip Hammond Credit: Reuters

A senior military figure told The Sun: “The chiefs were sceptical of Gavin Williamson at first because he’s young and clearly inexperienced.

“But if the government is going to preach Global Britain, at some stage they actually have to be able to deliver on it.

“He has understood that very quickly, and is going to take on the Treasury instead.”

The decision follows a bombshell warning from ex operations chief General Sir Richard Barrons this week that the forces were 20 years out of date and on the verge of collapse.

3 HMS Albion will also be saved by the striking U-turn Credit: Ray Collins - The Sun

Other stark proposals put in front of the 41-year-old rookie Defence Secretary included slashing the Army down to just 60,000 troops from its 78,000 standing strength today, and slowing down the purchase of F-35 fast jets for aircraft carriers.

Mr Williamson’s stand will throw an ongoing defence review by National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill into disarray.

Mr Sedwill has called for the defence cuts to the Treasury can spend the money on new intelligence and cyber capability instead.

It has also emerged that Mr Williamson has been quietly trying to win over ex-forces Tory MPs with a pledge to fight the cuts.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson visits troops at mock village Copehill Down Salisbury plain in a Puma helicopter