Sorry for deleting the rugby induced beer post late last night that rambled on.
Now sober (ish) I can hopefully make a more succinct contribution, namely that the BBC are still reporting 300 or so in the desert and although I genuinely hope that there will be no further requirements for any Cabinet minister or the Prime Minister to say sorry again, I believe that now is the time that COBRA, MOD, FCO and the Prime Minister himself wished that he did have Harriers, Carriers, a Maritime Patrol/SIGINT/ELINT Aircraft and also enough embarked helicopters/troops to take up the slack (if fixed wing becomes tactically unsound or non viable) or support the tremendous work by the Herc and SF community.
Nurse's post is typical of the self delusion that is going on at the upper political echelons as they ignore some very experienced military and academic advice. I agree that Force 2020 may deliver everything that Dr Fox believes in his recent correspondence (if it survives the cuts of PR11, PR12, PR13, PR14, SDSR 15, PR16,
PR 17 PR18 etc).
but what are the British people both at home and overseas expected to do/think between 2011 and 2020 and how many more 'sorrys' do we expect from the Prime Minister between now and then?