MGD is right - back-stabbing and in-fighting is
totally counter-productive. It really saddens me to see all these generals, admirals and airships being so parochial and puerile. Yes, its all about capabilities and, like-it-or not, airpower is a damn-important force-multiplier and here to stay, as WSC said. Airpower is far too important to be left to the dark-blue and brown. After all, us crabs shouldn't dream of lecturing the others on how best to use an MBT or a submarine, so why should the RN and Army pontificate about use of aircraft and space?
Why, oh why, can't our senior types agree on trying to define the threat and planning our Services accordingly -
rationally and together? Or at least, they could have a 'best guess' to the threats and the appropriate size/ability of our Armed Forces - and then advise the Gov't what capabilities we will lack as a result (and maybe how long it would take to ramp them back up); then the Gov't takes a carefully measured risk, rather than the MoD looking like a bunch of school kids arguing over a packet of sweets!
