April 30, 2013

AROUND AND ABOUT: FINEST HOUR 148, AUTUMN 2010

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Illustrating the reason for the late Winston Churchill’s appeal to the nation (FH 147 back cover), the Royal Air Force may shrink to its smallest size since the First World War under unprecedented cuts being proposed at the Ministry of Defence, according to Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. In the most significant changes to Britain’s defences since the post-Suez review of 1957, ministers and officials plan to scrap large parts of the British armed forces. The services will lose up to 16,000 personnel, hundreds of tanks, scores of fighter jets and half a dozen ships, under detailed proposals passed to the Daily Telegraph. This is a rather interesting development, since the new Government ran on the promise of quite the opposite with regard to the military. Harding continues:

“…the RAF will bear the brunt of the planned cuts. The Air Force will lose 7000 airmen—almost one sixth of its total staff—and 295 aircraft. The cuts will leave the Force with fewer than 200 fighter planes for the first time since 1914. In addition, the Royal Navy will lose two submarines, three amphibious ships and more than 100 senior officers, along with 2000 sailors and marines. The Army faces a 40 percent cut to its fleet of 9700 armoured vehicles and the loss of a 5000-strong brigade of troops.

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“The Telegraph has also learnt that the ‘black hole’ in Ministry of Defence finances, caused by orders which have been made but cannot be paid for, is approaching £72 billion over the next decade—double the amount previously suggested.

“While the Strategic Defence and Security Review is yet to be finalised, officials have drawn up a series of likely options to meet cuts of 10 to 20 percent demanded by the Treasury. By the end of August the Defence Strategy Group, comprising ministers and military chiefs, will receive a number of recommendations that they will refine and pass to the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, in September. In October, after agreement with the Treasury, an announcement will be made in Parliament on precisely what cuts the Forces face as part of the comprehensive spending review of Whitehall budgets.

“If implemented, the cuts will mean that Britain will almost certainly depart the world stage as a major military power and become what military chiefs call a ‘medium-scale player.'”

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Telegraph readers commented: “It is madness to cut defense considering the number of unstable countries wishing us harm; we did the same thing in the 1930s and look how that turned out” … “To cut the navy is suicide; it should be increased; we are an island and must have secure sea lanes; as for the ‘EUSSR’ we all know we cannot depend on the French or Germans to defend us, we have to be able to stand on our own” … “When exactly were the RAF last involved in dogfights etc. in defence of the UK?” … “They are still scrambled when the Russians test our response times with long-range bombers—reducing our capacity simply shows how inadequate the broke-back coalition is.” … “From time to time Her Majesty’s Government is embarrassed by the excess of zeal displayed by armament salesmen. It has accordingly signed solemn agreements with other major governments, undertaking to stamp out abuse. I am sure that HMG is capable of noble gestures. After all, it has a foreign aid budget in the region of £7 billion, for which the recipients do not always express effusive thanks.”

We report, you decide