None of this is necessarily in SDSR2016, or SDSR2015/16 as some enlightened pundits are quoting. Recent topics "of interest" that may or may not be relevant. The phrase "very expensive" is relevant.
- Trident replacement is very expensive.
- Carriers are very expensive.
- F-35 is very expensive.
- Comprehensive Spending Review follows SDSR.
- The 2% of GDP figure is only a two year commitment.
- Fallon has already laid the ground by outlining a number of low-cost international cooperations that mitigate the effects of smaller national forces and capabilities.
- "And we need to reform our ways of working to bear down on inefficiency and eradicate waste.". Fallon.
- Counter Terrorism spending is ring fenced.
- Typhoon needs to assume all the FJ roles.
Please feel free to add up the numbers. You may find the budget is already overspent. A careless remark at a meeting recently suggested that the Navy is going to have to take a massive hit (more than I could have imagined) to get a single carrier with access to a number of F-35s when required.
The Army is unlikely to see anything surprising, but the large numbers of personnel that need rebasing in the UK is attracting a lot of attention.
Tornado handing over to Typhoon.
That's all I have.