You're right, but does that make his point any less valid?
and does Hammond asserting that ex Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO, ex CDS, US SecDef, etc are wrong and that he doesn't recognise any of the comments regarding hollowed out forces, in the face of such overwhelming opposing expert evidence, really engender trust in the ability of (any) government to tell the truth? Or are political spin, lies and un-evidenced denial now so endemic that the truth effectively doesn't exist?