Self Merged: Defence Review, Korea and Wiki Leaks
Now over the last month there has been much comment and debate on the SDS 'Review', but ignoring all of the single service waffle, letters to the Telegraph and political sound bites, forget me as a rotary mate being worried about his future - I am now more worried about the country's defence and the worlds future stability.
And if we think for one moment that we are going to follow a US islolationist policy of the 1920s then our politicians and the public we serve are making a severe error of judgement that ours and their children will pay costly for.
From my perspective as an informed tax payer, I see the current H M Government taking a huge gamble - far in excess of John Nott in the 1980s. The SDSR and subsequent cost cuts were all predicated on a withdrawal from Afghanistan and greater 'partnerships' and 'coalitions'.
So our Prime Minister now knows exactly what our US and European 'allies' think of him (so much for alliances saving our bacon in the future).
How can the Prime Minister remove such vast swathes of capability with absolutely no strategic peace dividend seen (if anything the world is looking far more unstable since the demise of the Warsaw Pact/FSU). I am certainly not a Fishead lover, and don't particularly like the egos of the Fast Jet community, but not having the option to launch fast jets (JFH) and helicopters from the sea removes even an attempt at deception (remember Op Granby?). If the recruiting tap and flying training pipeline is being turned off (which it is) due to these cuts, but Flight International back pages are seeing the airlines, Bond et all recruiting again (as the 'baby boomer' demographic trough forseen in the airline industry is still very much there), then what will happen when the experienced aircrew and military personnel all depart to the 'hallowed' Private Sector leaving plenty of very enthusiastic youngsters with very little or no experience.
The Wiki leaks are not being challenged by the US and therefore have credibility that now blow wide open the whole political/treasury thinking behind the Defence Review - and I welcome RUSI to enter debate.
We have been cut down due to a political drive to cut costs. Lets hope that these financial costs do not result in future human life costs - both civilian and military.