overlander
Member
as recent events demonstrate in afghanistan and irak with the loss of 14 lives in nimrod crash, every day in afghanistan 2 or 3 british soldiers die, many observers say that because of shortage of equipment, recently british m.o.d. ordered urgently new equipment as pathfinder armed trucks, aroured vehicles etc because they recognized this shortage of equipment, under labour governments britain has suffered different heavy cuts in the armed forces here are a resume of the main cuts in the the last 8-9 years.
army.
reductions of at least 15 battallions, reductions of at least 150 challenger m.b.t. reduction of at least 600 armoured vehicles, withdrawal of saxon armoured carrier, etc.
r.a.f.
reduction of at least 150 front line warplanes from 1997, including cuts in the numbers of tornado gr-1 gr-4, tornado f-3. withdrawal of all jaguars, etc. reduction in the orders for new equipment for example the number of orders for jsf reduced from planned 150 to only 100, eurofighter typhoon will be cutted form a planned number of 235 to only 167, the tranche 3 will be cancelled.
royal navy
reduction in the escort force from 1997 from 35 to 25, withdrawal of sea harriers, early retirement of hms invincible at present only one carrier operational hms illustrious with hms ark royal in long refit, reduction in the number of royal marines from 7100 to 5600, possible (not confirmed) cancellation of the proposed 2 new cvf queen elizabeth class carriers reduction of new air defence destroyers type 45 from proposed 12 to only 6, reduction in the rfa strenght from 21 ro 15 auxiliary ships, reduction in the mcm force fron 28 to only 15 vessels.
but being these heavy cuts the main problems is that british government put more commitments than before for the armed forces, deployments in afghanistan and irak overstrechted the forces, they are short of equipment and they died in a number growing and growing, of course i doubt very much that if the government change to conversative party it will change nothing as this a defect of all british politicians, i think that if british politicians are not able to maintain a decent armed forces with enough budget and determination to equip correctly they mush to cancell all expenses in defence withdrawal all forces and make britian a country wihout armed forces like for example costa rica rather than putting in risk the lives of british soldiers because they have not enough material to fight, this way money for defenced can be dedicated to health, schools, etc, as some british retired officers say better to have nothing that a british armed forces more and more reduced, not to mention that rumours in britain say that another heavy cut in defence is preparing, gordon brown needs to cut another 1 blln pounds from defence budget and this can include the cancellation of the 2 new proposed carriers, we will see.
army.
reductions of at least 15 battallions, reductions of at least 150 challenger m.b.t. reduction of at least 600 armoured vehicles, withdrawal of saxon armoured carrier, etc.
r.a.f.
reduction of at least 150 front line warplanes from 1997, including cuts in the numbers of tornado gr-1 gr-4, tornado f-3. withdrawal of all jaguars, etc. reduction in the orders for new equipment for example the number of orders for jsf reduced from planned 150 to only 100, eurofighter typhoon will be cutted form a planned number of 235 to only 167, the tranche 3 will be cancelled.
royal navy
reduction in the escort force from 1997 from 35 to 25, withdrawal of sea harriers, early retirement of hms invincible at present only one carrier operational hms illustrious with hms ark royal in long refit, reduction in the number of royal marines from 7100 to 5600, possible (not confirmed) cancellation of the proposed 2 new cvf queen elizabeth class carriers reduction of new air defence destroyers type 45 from proposed 12 to only 6, reduction in the rfa strenght from 21 ro 15 auxiliary ships, reduction in the mcm force fron 28 to only 15 vessels.
but being these heavy cuts the main problems is that british government put more commitments than before for the armed forces, deployments in afghanistan and irak overstrechted the forces, they are short of equipment and they died in a number growing and growing, of course i doubt very much that if the government change to conversative party it will change nothing as this a defect of all british politicians, i think that if british politicians are not able to maintain a decent armed forces with enough budget and determination to equip correctly they mush to cancell all expenses in defence withdrawal all forces and make britian a country wihout armed forces like for example costa rica rather than putting in risk the lives of british soldiers because they have not enough material to fight, this way money for defenced can be dedicated to health, schools, etc, as some british retired officers say better to have nothing that a british armed forces more and more reduced, not to mention that rumours in britain say that another heavy cut in defence is preparing, gordon brown needs to cut another 1 blln pounds from defence budget and this can include the cancellation of the 2 new proposed carriers, we will see.