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  • Two Armed Services 'Could Merge' In 10 Years

    The Chief of Defence Staff has said he cannot guarantee that two of the Armed Services will not be merged within the next 10 years.

    Sir Jock Stirrup was speaking as the Government published a green paper that will pave the way for a full-scale strategic defence review after the General Election.

    Presenting the report into military spending, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the military will face some "tough choices" in the years ahead.

    He said in future Britain's armed forces will have to co-operate more closely with international allies such as France to provide the full range of defence capabilities.

    However, he said he does not think any of the armed services will merge but is "happy for people to discuss it".

    The green paper does not refer to specific programmes - except to confirm the £20bn update of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent will still go ahead.

    Mr Ainsworth said the "likelihood" is the Royal Navy will still get two new aircraft carriers but he would not comment on the American-built Joint Strike Fighters intended to fly from them.

    Funding for Afghanistan is to increase from £3.5bn this year to £5bn next year.

    But Mr Ainsworth said in future the forces will not be able to "insure against every risk" and decisions will have to be taken on where the most important priorities lie.

    "Tough choices will lie ahead and we need to rebalance our budget to better reflect our priorities," he said at the Ministry of Defence news conference.

    While the green paper emphasises that the United States remains Britain's most important ally, it says the UK will in future have to look to co-operate more widely with other countries.

    "In Europe, the return of France to Nato's integrated military structures offers an opportunity for even greater co-operation with a key partner across a range of defence activity," it said.

    The paper identified the three main threats as terrorists such as al Qaida, hostile states and fragile or failing states.

    It said that in future, the UK and its allies would not necessarily maintain the "technological edge" they had become accustomed to over the past 20 years as other nations closed the technology gap.

    The paper also warned of the threat of "cyber attack", as the forces became more reliant on hi-tech capabilities.

    Earlier this week there were claims Gordon Brown wanted to use the green paper to challenge the Conservatives to match Government spending on Defence.

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  • #2
    Last in, first out - bye bye to the RAF!

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Barry View Post
      Last in, first out - bye bye to the RAF!
      reckon it would be amalgamated into something like the AAC?
      I knew a simple soldier boy.....
      Who grinned at life in empty joy,
      Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
      And whistled early with the lark.

      In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
      With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
      He put a bullet through his brain.
      And no one spoke of him again.

      You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
      Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
      Sneak home and pray you'll never know
      The hell where youth and laughter go.

      Comment


      • #4
        I'd imagine the AAC would get the close support stuff (troop carrying helicopters etc), with the rest going to the Fleet Air Arm. Possibly splitting off some of the strategic transport bits to the RLC or something like that.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Barry View Post
          I'd imagine the AAC would get the close support stuff (troop carrying helicopters etc), with the rest going to the Fleet Air Arm. Possibly splitting off some of the strategic transport bits to the RLC or something like that.
          the fleet air arm? am i wrong but thats under the navy, right? would all of it go there?
          I knew a simple soldier boy.....
          Who grinned at life in empty joy,
          Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
          And whistled early with the lark.

          In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
          With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
          He put a bullet through his brain.
          And no one spoke of him again.

          You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
          Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
          Sneak home and pray you'll never know
          The hell where youth and laughter go.

          Comment


          • #6
            i 'could' be a Lt Col when i leave the Army - note the word 'could'.

            still, i suppose its something to talk about for a while.

            what worried me more was mention of the fact that we may be expected to work alot closer with the French Army!!!!

            we don't rate the French at all.
            RGJ

            ...Once a Rifleman - Always a Rifleman... Celer et Audax

            The Rifles

            Comment


            • #7
              The RAF, the force that in the most recent challenge to the islands safety kept the British a free people, I hardly think they'd tear the organization apart especially with the increasing importance of space in modern warfare

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by RoyalGreenJacket View Post

                we don't rate the French at all.
                yeah! i mean, have you seen their helmets??!?!
                I knew a simple soldier boy.....
                Who grinned at life in empty joy,
                Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
                And whistled early with the lark.

                In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
                With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
                He put a bullet through his brain.
                And no one spoke of him again.

                You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
                Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
                Sneak home and pray you'll never know
                The hell where youth and laughter go.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by RoyalGreenJacket View Post
                  i 'could' be a Lt Col when i leave the Army - note the word 'could'.

                  still, i suppose its something to talk about for a while.

                  what worried me more was mention of the fact that we may be expected to work alot closer with the French Army!!!!

                  we don't rate the French at all.
                  In the Suez didnt the PARAs rely on air transport from the French Foreign Legion who were equipped with shiny new kit and planes whilst the Brits had f*ck all? Personally I think you can only get your ass kicked so many times before ya get yourself in order and stand ready to return the compliment. That a nationality just cant fight a war doesnt really wash in my opinion. For one thing is bangs of racism and if one views only selected historical examples by that same logic one could argue the Squadie is more adept at occupying a country than liberating it, Do you buy that argument? I certainly dont

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by RoyalGreenJacket View Post
                    what worried me more was mention of the fact that we may be expected to work alot closer with the French Army!!!!

                    we don't rate the French at all.
                    Well the Brits spent the 14th to 19th centuries fighting against them, and spent the 20th century telling the Germans to leave them alone, so at this point the only thing you haven't tried yet is working closely with them.
                    Originally posted by CS Gass View Post
                    The RAF, the force that in the most recent challenge to the islands safety kept the British a free people, I hardly think they'd tear the organization apart especially with the increasing importance of space in modern warfare
                    Yes, but the last time a British pilot shot down an enemy plane was in the Falklands, and the pilot wasn't in the RAF. There is a lot that the RAF do that is also done by either the army or the navy.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by CS Gass View Post
                      In the Suez didnt the PARAs rely on air transport from the French Foreign Legion who were equipped with shiny new kit and planes whilst the Brits had f*ck all? Personally I think you can only get your ass kicked so many times before ya get yourself in order and stand ready to return the compliment. That a nationality just cant fight a war doesnt really wash in my opinion. For one thing is bangs of racism and if one views only selected historical examples by that same logic one could argue the Squadie is more adept at occupying a country than liberating it, Do you buy that argument? I certainly dont


                      Combat engineers from the Guards Independent Parachute company dropped with 2eme RPC. The rest inc 9th Independent Parachute Field Squadron RE,1,2 and 3 Para were dropped from RAF Hasting and Valetta aircraft.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Vanguard View Post
                        Combat engineers from the Guards Independent Parachute company dropped with 2eme RPC. The rest inc 9th Independent Parachute Field Squadron RE,1,2 and 3 Para were dropped from RAF Hasting and Valetta aircraft.
                        So what you are saying is without French help the British airborne force would have been sans Guards PARA coy, is that not even a little bit reliant on the French?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by CS Gass View Post
                          So what you are saying is without French help the British airborne force would have been sans Guards PARA coy, is that not even a little bit reliant on the French?
                          The opposite, combat engineers from the Guards independent Para coy provided support to the French.

                          The British sent a larger force then the French.
                          Last edited by Vanguard; 3 February 2010, 19:08.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Ok I bow to your superior knowledge, I took my point from a book on the history of the Paras I presumed it to be accurate. Back to topic however is there a bona fide reason why the Brits should be reluctant to work with the French, despite the fact that they like their women to resemble the Taliban I still think they're a decent lot (off the pitch)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by CS Gass View Post
                              Ok I bow to your superior knowledge, I took my point from a book on the history of the Paras I presumed it to be accurate. Back to topic however is there a bona fide reason why the Brits should be reluctant to work with the French, despite the fact that they like their women to resemble the Taliban I still think they're a decent lot (off the pitch)
                              What a book on the official history of the Paras said they never had any transport aircraft to get dropped into battle and had to rely on the French. They used Hastings and velettas at that time for drops.
                              Last edited by Vanguard; 3 February 2010, 19:11.

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