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[Varche]

Calling Rods2.......

Sadly I think he is right calling for a reversal of the defence cuts. We have seen their impressive weaponry used in the Syria conflict.

When the USA is involved in teaching N. Korea a lesson and distracted they won’t want to be helping NATO repulse a Russian incursion into Estonia or other Baltic State.

Quite where the money would come from would be the issue. What do you think?

[Sir Tigger KC]

Quite where the money would come from would be the issue. What do you think?

30% base rate for income tax?   

[Lizzie Zoom]

Quite where the money would come from would be the issue. What do you think?

30% base rate for income tax?   

Yes, as I have been saying for some time, the British public must learn that nothing, but the air we breath, is free and we should pay what it needs to not only reverse the previous cuts to defence but actually spend a good percentage more on top.

The NHS should also receive the extra funding from a general tax rise, but it is no good having an excellent health service if a foreign power has invaded and taken away all our democratic freedoms.

 

[STEMO]

Who.....in their wildest dreams.....thinks we could compete with Russia in the military stakes? David and Goliath in the conventional arms race, doesn’t matter in the nuclear arms race.

[STEMO]

Last month it was the Royal Navy saying that Russian submarines could cut our undersea cables. When these people have their begging bowls out, they moot all kinds of scary possibilities, all to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Why do we, all of a sudden, have to compete one to one with Russia? NATO spends more than 10 times what Russia does.

[BazaJT]

Whilst I agree we should have strong armed forces-whether by increasing the number of personnel or equipping the current force with the best equipment available or a combination of the two-there never has been anyway the UK could go toe to toe with the Russians hence the need for NATO and our membership of it.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Whilst I agree we should have strong armed forces-whether by increasing the number of personnel or equipping the current force with the best equipment available or a combination of the two-there never has been anyway the UK could go toe to toe with the Russians hence the need for NATO and our membership of it.

I would remind all of our history in the 20th century.  We learnt during 1940 that we could only rely on our own military that by then had been wound so far back that only a set of miracles and British endevour saved us. To start with even the USA couldn't politically back us up, but had Rooservelt finding ways to do so.

Once more we cannot only rely on others to protect our country; they could well be too busy protecting themselves from an over whelming attack, nuclear or otherwise.  Apart from the Americans, we are the next major force (well at the moment!!) in NATO, although with how things stand we do require other European countries support. This must change.  The World is changing fast in certain quarters, and we can trust no one.

Invest now in our armed forces for an independent outfit, as this time around we may not be as fortunate as in 1940, especially with the wishy, washy politicians we have now!

[Gaffers]

Damage is already done and there is little that the CGS can do to reverse the stream of experienced SNCOs and Officers flying out the door.  Most of my friends are either on the glide-path out or planning it as soon as they can.  I was lucky to leave when I did and land in a sector that is in high demand. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

Damage is already done and there is little that the CGS can do to reverse the stream of experienced SNCOs and Officers flying out the door.  Most of my friends are either on the glide-path out or planning it as soon as they can.  I was lucky to leave when I did and land in a sector that is in high demand.

I find that very sad, and still the MOD are showing TV adverts encouraging youngsters to make a career in the forces. One of those is for the Royal Navy, and pushes the message of how those who join are born in X town, but "Made in the Royal Navy".  What disappointments are in store for those who join?  It looks, like Guffer states, that many will leave disallusioned.  What a disgrace!

My father joined the Royal Navy and it became a 26 year long career.  How many of our young men will ever achieve that?  How will our forces be the best if the most senior, and best NCO's and Officers have left?

[Rods2]

I follow several of the UK defense blogs and journals and they basically repeat what Guffer is saying. The army was cut from a fighting strength of 137,000 in 1990, to an on paper strength of 84,000 and real strength of 72,000 now. During this time the number of operations and hot theaters has increased along with global instability. With the reduction in troops this meant something had to be cut out of:

1. Operational commitments including overseas tours.
2. Training, exercises and preparing for the next tour.
3. Time that they could spend with their families.

1. Our politicians made too many commitments for the size of the army, especially under BLiar & McRuin too overstretch our army. 2. Cutting back costs operation effectiveness, injuries and lives or 3 which was cut so the quality time after a tour spent with their family was curtailed.

The end results has been an ever increasing number of service personnel especially in the Army, but also the other services who have basically had enough of the demands placed on them and the decrease in the overall quality of their lives and who can blame them when their is low UK unemployment, reasonable job prospects and the chance of a much better quality of family life.

On top of this equipment has been getting older and obsolete, poor procurement and £250m wasted on the design and the development of AFV prototypes to only be cancelled left the army very vulnerable to IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan (with the design, training and materials for the IEDs mainly coming from Iran). Without a large increase in the defense budget (personally, I would transfer most of the largely wasted £13bn annual Overseas Aid budget so the money is being spent in the UK and being used for something useful to solve the defense budget problems in a stroke with no tax rises), we are going to have to severely curtail what our armed forces do with the ever more unstable world ending up with many more terrorist attacks on our doorsteps.

The vacuums created from this will continue to be filled by mainly Russia and China. There is a good saying: "Countries that can't be bothered to defend themselves, don't stay independent countries for long". If you think your life will be anything like it is now, you will be as free, wealthy and comfortable as they are now, especially as it is most likely the Europe will belong to Russia, you are in for a very rude awakening and you really will be yearning for the good old days.

In Russia 83% of the country's wealth is owned by 113 people. In 2016 19.2 million Russians, 13.4%  of the population lived under the poverty line on a wage below $139 per month. If you own a business and somebody further the chain wants it they take it, resist and you will be on tax evasion charges and spend time in a Gulag or much worse. Don't expect to be paid a wage very often as it is an optional extra in Russia (and Ukraine), but you will keep working for nothing to keep your job as two or three of months of a years wages is better than nothing. The police and Justice is what those higher up bribe and own. All media is owned by the state and their cronies, so you will sing the praises of your glorious leader. If you protest and cause the authorities problems make sure you are famous so you end up in a Gulag rather than just disappearing to never be heard of again.

Russians in Russia are well off compared to their occupied territories like Ukraine's Crimea and Dombas which are run by ruthless low-life organised criminal gangs, murder, rape, torture and slavery are routine events perpetrated by the ruling criminal gang or gangs and you will add to the gang leaders personal wealth, won't you, as your life will probably depend on it.

[aaronjb]

Damage is already done and there is little that the CGS can do to reverse the stream of experienced SNCOs and Officers flying out the door.  Most of my friends are either on the glide-path out or planning it as soon as they can.  I was lucky to leave when I did and land in a sector that is in high demand.

I find that very sad, and still the MOD are showing TV adverts encouraging youngsters to make a career in the forces.

Cannon fodder to replace those who got too high up to be considered such; hasn't that always been the way?

[Gaffers]

Damage is already done and there is little that the CGS can do to reverse the stream of experienced SNCOs and Officers flying out the door.  Most of my friends are either on the glide-path out or planning it as soon as they can.  I was lucky to leave when I did and land in a sector that is in high demand.

I find that very sad, and still the MOD are showing TV adverts encouraging youngsters to make a career in the forces.

Cannon fodder to replace those who got too high up to be considered such; hasn't that always been the way?

Not quite.  Most that get that high up have done their time and have put themselves in danger.  Most COs will fight alongside their soldiers when it comes to a real two-way range and some do pay the ultimate sacrifice (Afghan and Falklands spring to mind).  Leadership is about getting people to do something they don't want to do, so if you as a commander have the ability to send people in to harms way and remain relatively safe at the back, imagine the morale boost your guys get when the CO is fighting alongside of you.  Many have and will continue to do it regardless of what the rulebook says.

[tigers_gonads]

I follow several of the UK defense blogs and journals and they basically repeat what Guffer is saying. The army was cut from a fighting strength of 137,000 in 1990, to an on paper strength of 84,000 and real strength of 72,000 now. During this time the number of operations and hot theaters has increased along with global instability. With the reduction in troops this meant something had to be cut out of:

1. Operational commitments including overseas tours.
2. Training, exercises and preparing for the next tour.
3. Time that they could spend with their families.

1. Our politicians made too many commitments for the size of the army, especially under BLiar & McRuin too overstretch our army. 2. Cutting back costs operation effectiveness, injuries and lives or 3 which was cut so the quality time after a tour spent with their family was curtailed.

The end results has been an ever increasing number of service personnel especially in the Army, but also the other services who have basically had enough of the demands placed on them and the decrease in the overall quality of their lives and who can blame them when their is low UK unemployment, reasonable job prospects and the chance of a much better quality of family life.

On top of this equipment has been getting older and obsolete, poor procurement and £250m wasted on the design and the development of AFV prototypes to only be cancelled left the army very vulnerable to IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan (with the design, training and materials for the IEDs mainly coming from Iran). Without a large increase in the defense budget (personally, I would transfer most of the largely wasted £13bn annual Overseas Aid budget so the money is being spent in the UK and being used for something useful to solve the defense budget problems in a stroke with no tax rises), we are going to have to severely curtail what our armed forces do with the ever more unstable world ending up with many more terrorist attacks on our doorsteps.

The vacuums created from this will continue to be filled by mainly Russia and China. There is a good saying: "Countries that can't be bothered to defend themselves, don't stay independent countries for long". If you think your life will be anything like it is now, you will be as free, wealthy and comfortable as they are now, especially as it is most likely the Europe will belong to Russia, you are in for a very rude awakening and you really will be yearning for the good old days.

In Russia 83% of the country's wealth is owned by 113 people. In 2016 19.2 million Russians, 13.4%  of the population lived under the poverty line on a wage below $139 per month. If you own a business and somebody further the chain wants it they take it, resist and you will be on tax evasion charges and spend time in a Gulag or much worse. Don't expect to be paid a wage very often as it is an optional extra in Russia (and Ukraine), but you will keep working for nothing to keep your job as two or three of months of a years wages is better than nothing. The police and Justice is what those higher up bribe and own. All media is owned by the state and their cronies, so you will sing the praises of your glorious leader. If you protest and cause the authorities problems make sure you are famous so you end up in a Gulag rather than just disappearing to never be heard of again.

Russians in Russia are well off compared to their occupied territories like Ukraine's Crimea and Dombas which are run by ruthless low-life organised criminal gangs, murder, rape, torture and slavery are routine events perpetrated by the ruling criminal gang or gangs and you will add to the gang leaders personal wealth, won't you, as your life will probably depend on it.

Agree with that 

And to add, scrap ALL of these PFI contacts for support and maintenance asap and get the job done by solders / airmen.
Looking at the interest we are been charged, the money that's been wasted is bordering on treasonous in my opinion 
At the end of the day you join the military and learn how to kill people first, then you go to forces school and learn to do your "day job".
If the preverbal shit does ever hit the fan, you pick up your rife / spanner and do what's needed 

As for the training rota or lack of it, why not turn area's of the Falkland Islands into a rolling training detachment for all services ?
Kill 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak.
Plus it would send a mighty big opps Off / we will protect our oil interests message to our friends in South America and the UN