https://www.kcl.ac.uk/warstudies/ass...experience.pdf
This paper examines several features which have been a constant within the UK’s defence review process, particularly those pertaining to air and space power. These common features can be summarised as:
1.
A tendency to highlight new technologies and capabilities which will permit the UK to fulfil its ambition to act as a major power on the world stage with smaller armed forces;
2.
Subsequent realisation that the equipment programme required to achieve these ambitions is, in fact, unaffordable unless significant additional investment is made in defence or the ambitions trimmed yet further;
3.
A tendency to release money for the new capabilities by declaring that certain items of equipment are most unlikely to be required in future, or can be disposed early as they no longer fit into the UK’s defence posture –
only for events to intrude upon these assumptions.