News In Brief

Britain to increase its NATO forcesLondon

Britain will put 4,000 more combat troops in West Germany and make more warships and planes available to NATO to meet the ''steady increase'' in Soviet military capability, the defense secretary said Monday.

Secretary Michael Heseltine also outlined plans to streamline Britain's armed forces in a White Paper policy document on defense. The paper will be debated in the House of Commons, but it is virtually assured of passage because of the ruling Conservative Party's majority.

The study said Soviet defense spending is about five times as high as the published figure, constituting some 14 to 16 percent of the gross national product.

Mr. Heseltine said Britain was ''committed to the pursuit of genuine progress on arms control and to the search for a better understanding with the Soviet Union.''