On the contrary Asturius56, the last few posts illustrate the complacent acceptance of waste as a way of MOD life. You started this thread in a world that we will probably never inhabit again. Never mind Defence Review, better get used to the idea of Defence Retrenchment. The vested interests that have made their short term marks while at the top have left behind mountains of waste, and as tuc rightly points out, not only financial waste but even worse a needless waste of life. There was never a time when that was acceptable but now MOD reform becomes vital for the sheer survival of large swathes of the UK Armed Forces.
100 years ago the RAF faced a similar challenge and remodelled itself into a cost effective way of projecting imperial power. Its challenge now is to transform itself into an airworthy air force. It has already lost its maritime capability which it is only now starting to regain. It has lost its special connection with air minded youth, the ACO gliders, which gave it not only a source of recruitment but more importantly a special affection among those who go on to attain high office. It has had to retrofit a tactical transport fleet with fuel tank protection that it should have had in the first place. Whenever these and other issues have been raised we are constantly assured that was then, things are different now. Maybe they are, but I doubt for the better. We can no longer tolerate cover ups and subordinate bullying in order to protect the reputations of those who have failed our Service and our Nation.
If Mr Cummings or anyone else of his ilk wants to turn out the MOD stables then I say good luck. We can no longer put up with the present shambles.