Hang on a minute Jackonory, you are tarring me with someone elses brush again. I have not mentioned 1982 once (there you see...he said it again...stone him) I am talking about the future and ensuring that the UK is prepared for the future and not squandering everything on a land war that we are currently in...if you take that line, then ditch Nimrod, ditch Challenger, ditch everything that does not involve fighting a guerilla war!
Read what I post....I am talking about resources and the lack of. I am talking about the growth of Russian, Chinese and Indian etc influence and the inevitable "grab" for land in places far away from fixed airfields, with their associated resources of oil, coal, gas, fish, minerals, diamonds etc. Antarctica is the one place left on earth that has not been exploited but this will not continue forever. Sooner or later, someone will turn around, (much like japanese whaling) and say "We are taking this land and it's resources". Only those with the strength and capability will be able to resist. Why do you think the Falkland Islands are so important?