er mate, it aint bollocks..you obviously dont keep up to date in the defence world...
its on the telegraph site for a start..







Forces get ready to fight MoD cutbacks
By Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 02/04/2004)


Defence chiefs are furious over a package of cuts proposed by MoD teams set up to find ways of solving a £1.2 billion budget shortfall that threatens to force cutbacks in operations abroad.

The MoD teams, known as "work strands", are not due to report until next month, but defence chiefs are certain to try to block some of the more controversial moves.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Air Staff, in particular is likely to argue strongly against the loss of the GR7 Harriers.

The aircraft are due to be upgraded and scrapping them would also mean a loss of experience in short take-off and landing that would hamper the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) that are due to replace them.

Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord, is bound to try to fight the loss of two aircraft carriers since doing without them until the introduction of the Royal Navy's two new large carriers will raise questions over why these are needed at all.

One of the civil servants working on the plans defended the decision to axe the carriers, saying that they would not be needed if there were no Harrier aircraft to fly off them. "The JSF will operate from the future carriers, so there is no longer a requirement to maintain three carriers now," he said.

"At the same time the new Merlin helicopter is now fully in service with the RAF and Navy so we can withdraw the Puma and Sea Kings. They are very old, but will no doubt be snapped up by a foreign government as they still have a lot of life in them.

"The Jaguar is simply past its sell by date for the UK military requirement but we know that these aircraft are very attractive to countries such as Oman and Jordan, there won't be a problem selling them or a lot of the other kit." But one senior officer said it was ridiculous to be considering such cuts when the armed forces were so widely deployed abroad. "Politicians will claim that more money is being spent and that kit being withdrawn is simply prudent housekeeping," he said.

"But this is the biggest catalogue of cuts to the military for decades at a time when we are deploying troops and resources to more operations.

"We are desperate for helicopters and should keep the Puma and Sea King fleet alive on operations to support ground forces."

The Conservatives added their concern at what they described as "a dangerous loss of capability across a whole range of operational areas when the world was more dangerous and uncertain than it has been since the end of the last war."

Nicholas Soames, Shadow Defence Secretary, demanded the Government made clear what its plans were. He said: "Mr Hoon must come clean, as must the Chancellor, if he is to wreak such havoc on the Armed Forces."

The defence budget has been in crisis for months, in part because of problems caused by a new Treasury-imposed accounting system, the high cost of new equipment programmes and short-term shortfalls caused by the cost of the war in Iraq.

Mr Hoon wrote to the Prime Minister earlier this month warning him there would have to be cuts of £1.2 billion over the coming year and that if the Treasury did not provide more funds operations would suffer.

But the move backfired dramatically. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, promised in his budget statement that he would increase the defence budget in real terms this year. But officials say that this is an old increase announced two years ago.