Tourist
Please see your PM’s
I think the heart of the matter lies in tourist’s last sentence and Tom’s first.
What’s the quote, “we always plan for the last war and not the next”? I believe we should be at least as concerned for the war we are fighting now. Like all questions it’s a question of balance and any absolute answer is going to be wrong. I don’t see it as an ‘either….. or’ situation. I can accept that we might need sophisticated fast jets in the future. I find it difficult to accept that we need 232 Typhoons – what are they all going to do, who are they going to fight, why do we need 232 of them? – at the expense of enough boots and equipment on the ground to win and, incidentally, save lives in the war we are fighting now.
I know that the arithmatic isn’t necessarily this simple but ten less Typhoons, a 4-5% reduction, would surely cover another battle-group in Afghanistan and more helicopters to say nothing of all the body armour and mine-proof vehicles necessary.
Finally, Tom, I must, with respect take issue with your comment about it being ‘undoubtedly narrow-minded’…. I would consider it narrow-minded not to consider all possible options.