It strikes me (there's a word) that there is no consensus anywhere you go as to what the optimum focus of the Nation's defence needs ought to be.
I've read Lewis Page's book; Lions, Donkeys and Dinosaurs, and while on the one hand he sees absolutley no use for Escorts and Frigates any longer, he believes that Carriers, Submarines and Mine Sweepers (his former speciality when in the Navy) are what the Royal Navy need to equip with in the future. Then again, he also points out the utter needlessness of the Eurofighter Typhoon!
I personally think, even as each of the services tries to make it's own subjective argument for a fair share of the shrinking defence budget- Lion's share in the Army's case-that the best we can do just now with as little as there is, is to spread the the rations as evenly as possible to try and cover every requirement?
FB