First off, should have seen that one coming!
Dallas, thanks for the in depth explanation. I meant to add that I hope it doesn't come at the expense of lives but given some of the things i've read recently it probably will, or has.
I mean the Falklands thing where the Navy uniform was changed from cotton (protected well from flash flames but expensive) to Nylon based (melted onto skin) purely as a cost cutter.
I recently read Col Tim Collins book about Iraq, he mentions the same points as you at the end so it really is the Armed forces as a whole then?
Why are the lessons of history not learned?