"you'll notice also, the numbers of transport and rotary have remained virtually unchanged. The evisceration has been applied entirely to the actual high-performance combat strength"
but at the time that made eminent sense FB - we haven't faced even a second class airforce for 30 years and almost all actions have been deploying the Army to and within ground operations. Since everyone wanted to cut military expenditure for the "peace dividend" cuts have to fall somewhere - look at the number of RN surface vessels for example. The alternative is to fix the Military Budget at say 5% and spend it and let other items (health Service, Pensions, education...) to manage with less. That makes sense to me but I'm not trying to get elected.