I have to say that I am very surprised by some of the responses here. I am, of course, fully aware of the part flight strips play in the Civ ATC world, but the suggestion that even the noted presence of mil traffic in the vicinity would not prevent approval being given for descent is frankly worrying.
I don't doubt that the procedures being described are being employed, but where is it laid down that military traffic operating in the vicinity of an Upper Air Route can be deemed not to exist? Let's be honest, if you are not looking at the tube, that is effectively what is going on. Are the CAA happy with this? Are you airline pilots out there happy with this?
How is a mil controller (or any controller for that matter) expected to apply C Separation with any degree of confidence if other controllers take no notice of other traffic in the vicinity?
Any other mil controllers have a view on this?
STH