Read the report today and it sounded like a manifesto for the Liberal Democrats.
The report contains some very wishful thinking and emphasis on some EU nirvana which will never be met. The Army's fingerprints can be seen all over it. Increase the size of land forces to 120,000 increase spending on homeland defence but get the money from the Defence Budget. How to do that? Well, scrap a whole load of Challenger II, scrap CVF, JCA, T45 and Astute, despite the document acknowledging the need to protect worldwide interests which would require a "Blue Water" Navy and the fact that T45 is replacing T42 which is 1960s technology on a par with Vulcan and Victors.
What is also mentioned, but not advertised widely in the "sea-blind" media, is the recommendations that Tornado goes (F and GR) and that UK Air Defence is heavily reduced (Watch out Scopies).
How will we balance these issues? by reliance on Europe, and by increasing our "security forces" (i.e. The Police and the widely talked about Home Defence force). It seems that the Army are winning the argument, with the support of the Police and other Liberal politicians and have successfully divided the RAF and RN (nice one Torps!)