The British government was urged today to move Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) battalions stationed in England to their regimental headquarters in Co Antrim.
Rev Robert Coulter
Senior Ulster Unionist MLA the Rev Robert Coulter said such a transfer would offset the impact on Northern Ireland of the possible loss of the home service battalions of the regiment in two years' time.
"It would make logistical sense to concentrate all the Royal Irish troops in Ballymena," said Rev Coulter.
"Moving battalions currently stationed in Oxford to the home base of Ballymena would also lead to efficiency savings which are bound to be attractive to the government in the present climate of regimental amalgamations and rapid response restructuring of the armed forces," he said.
The move would also help to offset the economic impact of any loss of the home service battalion, added Mr Coulter.
He said the UUP would obviously prefer to see it retained until the terrorist threat had been "proved to be totally eliminated".