SammySu
I'm an armchair spectator now, but this is depressingly predictable. Seems to be:
- Fail to make tough choices;
- Fudge a defence review;
- Fill gap with untenable assumptions;
- Declare victory!
- Publish document. (Get promoted).
- Repent at leisure.....
£300m would be saved if you lost about three GR4 Sqns and a base. If true - and I can well believe that the SDSR finds themselves £1bn short, though £1.6bn is surprisingly large - then it means a GR4 "force"of four(ish) Squadrons plus and OCU(ish), is depressingly possible.
And with all of the engineering at Marham, this would be curtains for Lossie, too. (Unless you move QRA(I) North from Leuchars, which is a whole other kettle of fish.)
Still, it's enough to do Afghanland and retain some element of a sub-strategic option. Not much of one, though.
Finally, though I would've given up a couple of Sqns of GR4s to keep MRA4, I can't see if this is the real level of required cuts that MRA4 would've made it back earlier on. An appalling situation.
S41