British Prime Minister David Cameron says he wants to see female British soldiers training to fight on the front line in 2016.

"The Defence Secretary (Michael Fallon) and I are united in wanting to see all roles in our armed forces opened up to women in 2016," Cameron has been quoted as saying by The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

He has emphasized that he has asked the Ministry of Defence to be ready to post women in ground close-combat roles by the end of next year.

This follows a similar move by the United States earlier this month when the White House announced that the American military will open all positions -- including frontline combat roles -- to women.

"We've already lifted a number of barriers in our armed forces with the introduction of female submariners and women reaching the highest ranks in all services.

"We should finish the job next year and open up ground combat roles to women," Cameron has been further quoted as saying.

Female troops make up around 10 percent of Britain's armed forces.

Women are currently banned from ground combat units "where the primary role is to close with and kill the enemy".

A review found "no compelling evidence to prove women impair effectiveness in close combat situations", Fallon said.

However, the study called for further research by mid-2016 into the physiological demands of such roles over time.

"I hope that, following further work on our training regimes and equipment, we can open up combat roles to women in 2016," Fallon wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.

The minister insisted that whatever the outcome of the review, "combat effectiveness remains paramount".

"Training standards cannot be lowered in order to accommodate women," he has been quoted as saying by the AFP. He further added that not all female soldiers would pass the tests.

"But by ensuring ability, not gender, determines who succeeds, we are giving everyone a chance to compete for any military role."