I am just pleased and reassured to know the the SDSR was a thorough and professional piece of work, which was underpinned by decent research and delivered a range of options / scenarios with an accurate assessment of the foreseeable consequences of each decision.
I would have been horrified if it had been a back-of-a-fag-packet job to garner quick
PR headlines and demonstrate to the media the incoming government's "resolve to take the tough decisions", and appear statesman-like.
It is even more reassuring to read that it is the uniformed defence chiefs who are advising for the B model.
Who advised for the C? (Or the B before that?).
Still, we should be OK as we are still in the game of having a decent expeditionary & combat proven, maritime STOVL fixed-wing capability to pair with the LRMPA one. It's just a question of updating the equipment.
Has it always been this difficult? Options For Change seems like a Classic of defence literature now.