The last time the RAF was so pitifully small was in the early 1930s. Yet somehow its strength then rose to over a million during World War 2.
In 1952, the RAF had about 171500 personnel to defend a UK population of 52million. Or around 292 people for each RAF member.
By 1957, the RAF rose to a strength of 228000 and even after the disaster of Duncan Sandys infamous 1957 Defence White Paper, the strength in 1958 was around 193000 - but decreasing still.
When I joined the RAF, cuts were underway to reduce the 1968 strength of 121000 down to 97000. Largely by withdrawing from East of Suez....
Since then it was nothing but cut after cut, coupled with increasing overstretch. If the strength (sic) falls to 30000, with the interests of a UK population of around 62million to defend, each RAF serviceman will need to defend 2066 people, or around 7 times as many as his/her 1952 colleague.
RAF strength should be 171500 x (62/50) to be on a par with 1952 levels - around 213000. And of course the 50 or so RAF stations closed over the last 50 years would need to be reopened.
Of course it'll never happen, thanks to the 'Abominable no-men' of the Treasury, as once they were described in a parliamentary debate on the Air Estimates.
Why doesn't one of the lurking journos on PPRuNe write an article on the scale of the problem, highlighting how ill-equipped the UK now is to defend itself.