AR is the acknowledged - and qualified professional - forum expert on this stuff, so I would defer to him 100%.
Which part of the current pension contract do you think is unfair?
If you answer his question in a detailed fashion, I'm sure you will get a detailed reply.
One thing though...I am always amazed at the utter disconnect on pensions reality demonstrated by service (and other public sector) personnel on the wider state of UK pensions.
Would any other employer get away with reducing your pay and pension, simply because you decide to leave their company before retirement?
Your rhetorical question (my bold) implies corporate sector. If you think there are any mainstream corporate employers that offer pension schemes even half as good as a military one (when looked at holistically), you are living in la-la land.
I don't mean to offend, or pick a fight...but that's the reality and has been for a long, long time.
My wife retired from the board of a 53000 strong UK PLC a few years back. Her pension is less than half my Sqn Ldrs pension, despite the fact her salary was more than double.
sorry for the thread divert, but this comes up a lot an it bugs the hell out of me.