The job cuts will be made in response to the Ministry of Defence cancelling its contracts with BAE Systems for the Harrier and Nimrod MRA4 programmes, following the government's .

"I expect there will be [IT job cuts] because the government announced in its review that it was ending the Nimrod and Harrier programme and within those programmes there would be some IT-related jobs," a spokesperson for the company said.

However, she added: "But I expect there would be very few [IT job cuts] compared to the bulk of the cuts, which will be in the engineering and manufacturing areas."

Job losses are expected to take place at six of BAE Systems' UK sites and at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland and RAF Kinloss in Moray. The highest number of losses - 668 - will be experienced at the Warton site in Lancashire, followed by 214 from the company's Farnborough site.

BAE Systems said it had started consultations with its employees, and part of the consultation will cover the potential closure of its Woodford site in Cheshire earlier than the previously announced date of 2012.