I have got to say, that my blood is boiling! I thought with the departure of the last CAS and CNS that the MOD had entered a new era of trying to work together to save the collective skin. How naive of me! His comments totally omit many of the other tasks and interests that the UK has around the world, especially economic ones. The earthquake in Haiti has shown quite clearly the utility of both strategic air transport and naval forces in situation other than warfighting. I echo the sentiments above. How does the good general think his troops are going to get to theatre, how will they get fed and supplied with fuel and ammunition, who will provide them with CAS and ISTAR? Certainly not the many Challenger IIs sat in hangars in Germany. What will the UK do when we are competing for mineral and food resources in remote parts of the world such as Antarctica and around all those other, very valuable little bits of rock that we have around the world.
He has declared his hand very early and publicly and his comments are not helpful in the current situation, with an SDR and a new Government on the way. The other services would do well to sit up and note!