prOOne
3.5K servicemen to Afghanistan soon. What we do if Argentina decided to have a better-thought-out go at the Falklands in the autumn? Go on, tell me how much of a task force we could put together - how many grey funnel line ships, what aircraft, what tankers and transports? How many troops, how to re-supply?
And Iran. Assume positive and true intelligence. GW decides to go for it and invites president bliar to support with tangible assets?
And another cod war?
I could go on; the lack of assets leaves us effectively toothless if we end up in an attrition situation. 70 Harriers sounds a lot, but take some out for major servicing, multiple dets, training, etc, and it doesn't leave many to fill the gaps when losses occur. In WW11 you could build a Spitfire in a couple of weeks, but how long to build a Harrier or Tonkka [assuming the means still exists to built one from scratch]?
And will someone please tell me where all the money went that was saved with the run-down of the Soviet block and the continued reduction in defence spending...