PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - US General says British Army less than Par?!?!?!?
Old 31st Jan 2023, 17:43
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Baldeep Inminj
 
Join Date: May 2012
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MY first thought about this thread was 'is this really new?' People have been screaming for decades that cuts have gone too far and capabilities have been lost. We have seen many VSO's find their voices once they have taken off the uniform for the last time and ensured the pension was safe, but precious few had the moral courage to say a word whilst still serving. I strongly suspect that this is not a unique British problem either.

Regardless, a solution needs to be found and quickly, as war is the ultimate 'come as you are' event, and the invitation often arrives at very short notice. To that end, I see Ben Wallace stated yesterday that whilst he accepts the Forces are below where they should be (he was specifically referencing the Army IIRC), that buying 'off the shelf' would not safeguard British Industry and was therefore not an option. My personal view is 'Who gives a fc*k?'. Surely the ends justifies the means in this case - get capability ASAP in terms of hardware. Get it from the U.S, Korea, Israel...wherever, just get it and worry about industry afterwards. As for manpower, that is also an issue that needs a pragmatic and probably expensive approach. Pay soldiers more (a lot more), build new housing NOW (I have seen fields turned into Bovis or Persimmon estates in months). Tear up legacy contracts and go to the private sector and get the big boys in who can build immediately and quickly. Make being a soldier something that people will aspire to, rather than being one of the few ways to leave a sinkhole estate.

If you think maintaining a large military is expensive, try losing a war.

Or am I being naiive?

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