I think part (at least) of the problem is that it's very hard, now, to see how the hardware we have can be equated to any sort of coherent defensive force - as used to be said of the Sovs, 'quantity has a quality all of its own', and Melchett has hit the nail fairly squarely regarding that point... we can't really afford the kit we need, and it doesn't save money to cut orders. So we end up with bits of what we need, bits that don't hang together all that well, and a sort of odd job list that we are now capable of - unfortunately the politicians never seem to refer to that list before committing our forces to the latest 'it looks good in the papers' conflict.
If we're only prepared to pay self defence force rates for the kit, then that is what we should reorganise our forces to provide. At the moment we seem to be gearing ourselves for interfering with folk a long way from home, and relying on the SAS to assassinate every enemy FJ driver before he gets airborne, whilst binning anything needed to defend the UK itself. We are assuming that for some time to come the threat will be from terrorists... not exactly unlikely, but there is no backup plan for when a more conventional force type is needed.
I was wondering, in an odd moment yesterday, whether we wouldn't be better off with something like the F16, with maybe a new build batch of Vulcans to provide the noisy stuff. Bags I a go in the air defence Chipmunk when we decide to field a squadron of anti UAV fighters! (Second thoughts let's build some Spits for that job).
Dave