THE SNP is to scale back its defence plans for an independent Scotland.

The party’s defence spokesman Brendan O’Hara said its current policy was “out of date”and had to be refreshed, not least because it was predicated on the UK being in the EU.

The MP told a fringe meeting at SNP conference that plans to keep a population share of UK defence assets would be scaled back to avoid being “saddled” with more than was needed.

The SNP Government’s White Paper for the 2014 referendum proposed a defence budget of £2.5bn after independence, with "air and sea-based patrol" and a total of 15,000 regular and 5,000 reserve personnel within 10 years.

It proposed removal of the Trident nuclear deterrent within four years.

Mr O’Hara, whose Argyll & Bute constituency includes the Faslane nuclear submarine base, said: “One of the big debates we ought to have is what do we do with the military assets? Do we start from scratch? Do we take an eight or nine per cent share of them?

“And if we do take a nine per cent share, what do we take? What are the maintenance contracts? There are a whole load of things.”

He went on: “I personally am very much of the opinion that if we adopt the nine per cent share of hardware then we are pushed down a road from which it is very difficult to come back.

“I don't you think you can have a bespoke independent Scottish defence policy if you are immediately saddled with taking eight, nine per cent of military hardware assets.”