In the post SDSR gloom, I've had little to add to this thread. I also was shocked to agree with BHR.
I understand the Army argued that it needs to retain lots of MBTs etc to prevent skill fade, but what about skill fade regarding carrier operations? Presumably not considered an issue, as they have no experience of it. The First Sea Lord was ignored.
News that the Nimrods are being broken up is just sickening. Even if they were mothballed there would be great savings, and a possibility of regenerating them in x years time. We just don't need a MPA it seems, and trying to make up for the shortfall in ASW capabilities with our dwindling frigate numbers will not cause problems with how ships are used and deployed. The First Sea Lord was ignored again.
Why were future threats to energy supplies left out of the strategy paper? When terrorist plots that started in Yemen came to the fore, why did the Chief of Defence Staff say we must concentrate on Afghanistan to stop it from becoming another Yemen? Surely, we might need to intervene to prevent it falling into the hands of a Taliban like regime - after all, Bin Laden and his ilk and repeatedly expresed a desire to hit the oil supply, most of which passes through the Gulf of Aden.
Did the SDSR consider the needs of the 2012 Olympics? The
Express did, although perhaps its reporters should have tried harder at School.