Herc,
Your thinking pretty much mirrors my own. I also feel the necessary detail will only flow from a well articulated requirement supported at an appropriate level. I suspect that requirement hasn't been forthcoming because, up where the air gets thin, it's recognised that opening the box properly would reveal how far we really are from being a first rate armed force (both kit and ideas-wise).
However, I'd rather that gap was discussed openly by the adults, than have them fund and (apparently) support more Capability Assessments and Investigations that result in the lightning bolt .ppt presentations I mentioned earlier.
I also have a suspicion, that the defence industry (BAeS, THALES, QQ etc) actively encourage the 2/3* chasing their tails and turning the ideas wheel round and round. I see no potential for direction from them, or indeed from academia. The various Defence technology Centres, and the comically named Centre for Defence Enterprise certainly won't/don't provide technical or doctrinal leadership.
So, I guess my question has morphed into:
"Where should we expect the doctrinal and technical leadership necessary to take Bril Mil into the 21C to come from?"
Sun Who