I for one am fed up with both the Army and Navy moaning about how the RAF should take all the pain - as for disbandment
I for one think that the Army being on the constant offensive is all down to the fact that they feel threatened in the longer term. Although Afghanistan is the current focus, with the expected draw down in the next 5 years, what exactly will the bulk of the Army be doing once out of Afghanistan?
By that stage, I really can't see the UK having the political or public appetite, financial resources or military capability to embark on another foreign adventure which will invariably mean lots of time in barracks or on exercise. However, the RAF and the RN will still have an active role to play in the defence of the UK through policing of airspace and sea lines of communication, not to mention the ability to demonstrate and project UK air and sea power through the deployment of relatively small force packages (assuming they ever let the RN host some of the infamous cocktail parties!) where required.
Seems to me that post 2015, it is the Army who will be scrabbling round for an active role outside of marching up and down Horseguards. Might explain the rather vociferous protestations we are seeing at the moment?