Mr Chinecap,
as usual, it is nice to get an informed opinion from you rather than the usual round of rants 'why don't my trousers fit' etc.
However, just one small point provided some confusion:
More pressure will be on the support of the flying, so effort is shifted there
Surely this should always have been the focus? and further, the only thing I see having changed (most flying kit not really having changed in the last 4-5 years) is the Fire Retardent S95 for aircrew.
The procurement and provision of FR S95 has been bungled so badly (agreed it is mainly at Command level) that most SH crews in theatre either look like they are auditioning for a job as a clown (the trousers so big they need a hula hoop and braces to keep them up) or a refugee, as their remaining set of FP are so ragged; yet there are never enough sets!
Perhaps you could shed some light on why, when this is our recently found focus, that the one item of aircrew kit that has changed, has been spooned up beyond belief.
(I'm not poking sticks here - I am generally interested and feel if I am likely to get a proper answer, it would be from you)