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Last Saturday, I attended the Fairford “Air Tattoo” and what a splendid event it was with hours of continuous flying marred only by taking an hour and a half, to get out of the car park after the ‘show’ and despite delaying departure for a couple of hours after flying ceased still, there you go…!

However and in the run up to Farnborough and defence spending reviews, a number of ‘issues’ have come increasingly into focus via the Media and especially a ‘bete-noir’ of mine, the willingness of Governments to spend on high cost capital projects whilst ignoring the ‘military realities’ of the PBI – Poor Bloody Infantry. A very interesting article in the Telegraph, is worth reading: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamescorum/100047944/americas-armed-forces-are-at-breaking-point-its-time-for-a-republican-fightback/

But I want to both use that whilst taking the ‘concept’ further…

Machines Instead of People…

One of the things that strikes a very loud note with me, is the following from James Corum’s article:

“Yet Bush thought that the US military, which had been reduced by more than 40 per cent in the Clinton years, could easily handle two major foreign wars without reinforcement. The belief that high tech had replaced manpower in warfare was pervasive among his inner circle and also in the top reaches of the military.”

It is not that I agree 100% with Mr Corum, at least some of his stance seems more ‘political’ than based upon a purely ‘military’ view which is a big flaw but that said, his main point is that historically and whilst at war, the US has ‘increased the size of the military’ not, diminished it and just relied on improving technology to ‘make the numbers up’. This was always a total nonsense as a ‘strategy’ because ultimately, in a ‘insurgency situation’, you are no differently placed than “Policemen on the Beat”.

It is a simple equation: Increase the chances of being arrested to a “near certainty” and people will stop committing petty crimes unless, the potential ‘rewards’ of success are so great that the personal risk of them ‘not surviving’ their deeds, are worth taking even in the slim chances offered them. All counter insurgency operations are the same as policing a Home Counties Town, it is all down to “Boots on the Ground” or, “Bobbies on the Beat”. Take the ground and then hold it !

Further Defence Budget Cuts

For me among the numerous “Star Attractions” at the Fairford Air Show was undoubtedly seeing the American F22 Raptor, rumoured to be, the most expensive fighter aircraft ever built. Aesthetically, I could hardly describe it as a ‘beautiful aircraft’ because it isn’t, more function than style but as an observer of its display, it is stunning and can do stuff that I have not yet seen another aircraft come close to: Well displayed by the Pilot, it was a stunning demonstration of the technology !

However, this was a mega bucks project and in these days of ‘hard times’, every Defence Contractor is fighting hard to ensure that amid all Western Economies trying to ‘pay down’ their debts, every similar ‘Big Ticket’ project already in the pipeline, is fighting hard to keep going and keep alive as the following may well illustrate:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10654822

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10700781

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10632223

The Political Problem

In times such as these, it is simpler for a politician to keep major “Capital/Intellectual Heavy” defence projects going on the basis of the number of highly paid civilian jobs involved than looking at just what “defence value” is being added by them.

In purely defence terms as in, “the defence of these islands”, one million men armed with long bows and a good supply of arrows, may well be far more effective than 52 highly sophisticated aeroplanes equipped with multi tasking missiles of whatever colour. Just a thought !