One bludgeoning area of 'defence' over the labour years has been Media Relations especially in the RAF. Otherwise known as truth central it has as its aim been a
PR exercise, both internal and external, to place the RAF in the public domain.
Think those wonderful airshows at Abingdon (wash-out even without the weather) and Kinross (aka Leuchars - cancelled). media relations probably sprung up as a countervailing
PR process in the face of the resolute opposition in the Treasury.
Do we really need public lobbying for aircraft carriers, advanced fighter aircraft etc etc? Public pronouncements by retired senior officers are designed to align public opinion and influence Ministers. Nothing new here, it has been ongoing for over 100 years, but do we really need a defence funded Media Relations organisation to join the fray?
Are they any less partial than privately funded industry lobby groups?