"We are the best equipped armed forces in our history"

[NutLoose]

Quoting Gordon Brown tonight, who says he is quoting the the Chief of the Defence staff..



Thanks Flying Lawyer, ammended accordingly

FWIW(?), he claimed to be quoting the CDS, not CAS:

[Guzlin Adnams]

Richard Cranium...

[Herc-u-lease]

define "best equipped"

does that mean we've got the most technologically advanced kit we've ever had?

in that case we're better equipped than WWII


and last year

[Gainesy]

Well, compared to er... erm... Horsham Brownies, yer can't fault the man.

Had he had his meds?

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

...except for ASW, Maritime Surveillance and long range SAR...

Duncs

[Mr C Hinecap]

I'd say that the majority of the Armed Forces are the best equipped they have ever been (there is an Army out there you know). I'd say the equipment is mostly the best at what it does, compared to what went before. I'd say you could argue capabilities, but what is there is mostly good.

[Senior Pilot]

In the words of Mandy Rice-Davies:

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

[Flying Lawyer]

Quoting Gordon Brown tonight, who says he is quoting the the chief of the air staff..

FWIW(?), he claimed to be quoting the CDS, not CAS:

"I would say, with the chief of the defence staff, who said himself we are the best-equipped armed forces in our history as a result of the action we have taken.
I'm not complacent. I want to do more. But we have put the helicopters in. We have put the vehicles in. And we are giving our troops the equipment we need."

[Wensleydale]

I will admit that we are well equipped. Sadly, the majority of that equipment is either unserviceable or unsupported due to financial constraints and undermanning.

[Blacksheep]

How would today's British armed forces be measured against the British armed forces of, say, the sixties, that were designed to hold the front line in Germany? It isn't just the equipment, numbers count too, but most importantly it is what the force is designed to achieve. In the case of foreign intervention or Global Policing as the politicians prefer to call it, there's simply no substitute for overwhelming numbers. Irregular forces are impossible to counter by direct military action; it takes overwhelming numbers to hold the ground and control movement (as in Malaya) while the politicians work out the long term solution. Put the same number of men who swarmed ashore on D-Day into Afghanistan, even with the same equipment, and we might see a result.

[cornish-stormrider]

I soooo wanted to bitch-slap the lying git.
How he could stand there and spout such nonsense beggars belief.

I would declare my support for young Nicky BUT when Ee said about not replacing the Bomber and wouldn't say they would have some sort of Sunshine Delivery system - for to make you glow in the dark, I got a bit worried.

Sorry, Thread drift. I still wanted to slap Incapability. I'm sure he means well (on most things) but he is out of his depth, awol, adrift, slack and useless.

[vecvechookattack]

I soooo wanted to bitch-slap the lying git.

Your wish is granted


Slapometer

Excellent fun during the debate. Nancyboy Cameron got a real slapping....

[Jabba_TG12]

Anyone who believes a word of it is a mug.

As for the CDS.... the less said about that jellyback, the better.

[dallas]

Compared to wearing my soup bowl steel helmet and wedgewood blue shirt with putees and carrying little more than a respirator and a SLR, yes, I was better equipped in the latter years of my RAF career. In fact people are over-equipped sometimes when reissued the same stuff for consecutive Gulf tours - stuff they have to be issued again to avoid 'lack of kit' political embarrassment. But that's personal kit.

At the same time I was cradling my SLR, the same Tristars and VC10s were in the sky and peripheral projects like misdirected computer projects were in their infancy. Since then we've learned very little, continue to flog the same knackered aircraft (the principle difference being they spend more time on the ground), and inadequate computer systems have become commonplace.

[BEagle]

Are you some embittered working class oik who has a genetic dislike of Tory politicians, vechookvecwhatever?

Anyone who has heard David Cameron speak to a public audience, unprompted and without notes, cannot fail to be impressed by his passion, drive and enthusiasm. Something which this country really needs.

The abomination of nuLabor must be consigned to the rubbisn bin of history - we need the fresh start which Cameron will provide.

[gijoe]

As someone said above, personal kit has never been better.

Boots that fit, UBACs, body armour that does the job...even a natty little mug which was redsigned when it was suggested that the handle stopped it from fitting in a pocket! The SA80 A2 and click on bits and pieces is excellent. 5.56 rather than 7.62 but that is a different debate.

The large capital items probably need a little more thinking about. AT...umm....SH....umm.....Brown is treading a fine line here and I perceive that the very evident 'stitching up of the next Government' that was going on a few months back may have ceased temporarily as NuOldLabour have got a small sniff of another victory.

I hope not.

BEagle has it right about Cameron - he is a very, very impressive speaker and he may fair better in the next TV debate if not in the middle. Stick Brown in the middle and let the other two pincer him next time.

[vecvechookattack]

Cameron showed his true colours last night. He was a mere boy amongst men. He fluffed his way through the questions - unable to create a coherent
answer with out Mandy prompting him, his make-up made his smirky grin look mean and evil and his policies were frankly laughable. He had now answer to Gordon Browns comment's regarding Police funding, he couldn't even "agree with Nick".
The Bullingdon boy blew it last night and has some serious ground to make up before the next debate. Maybe he should go and visit his puppet master,Lord Ashcroft for some top tips. But the one aspect of the Tory defence policy that alarms me is the 25% cut in the running of the MOD. That is too much and will result in serious redundancies throughout the services.

[Blacksheep]

Are you some embittered working class oik who has a genetic dislike of Tory politicians, vechookvecwhatever?

You have your answer, Beags.

As for me, I'm a "working class oik" who spends his evenings tramping round the constituency, knocking on doors, talking to people, introducing them to their MP whenever they have serious questions and generally trying my hardest to ensure that Gordon Brown moves on to more suitable employment. Don't knock we working class oiks, everyone knows its the Sergeants who get everything done.

[Neptunus Rex]

First spoken by a Russian officer at Sevastopol (Crimean War.)
Since reiterated by many a foe.
Now as true as ever:

"Lions led by donkeys!"

Plus ça change.....

Alors!

[Neptunus Rex]

Onya Blacksheep!

One is hard pressed to think of 'suitable employment' for Broon, who gives a whole new meaning to the word 'dour.'

Answers on a postcard please.