Defence and security experts believe Britain’s national security policy is mismatched with the new threats being faced.
The survey by the Royal United Services Institute of 1,543 people, found 59% judged that it was not “appropriate to the geopolitical challenges the country faces”.
It also suggested a large majority (68%) believed the decision to axe Britain’s aircraft carriers looked increasingly wrong and just 12% agreed that the NATO-led intervention in Libya “validated” cuts in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
David Cameron recently attacked “armchair generals” who wrongly warned the Libya campaign could not be mounted without sea-borne jets.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy described the findings as a “devastating assessment of the Government’s record on defence.
“Events have exposed the flaws of a rushed review. Experts have little confidence in the Government’s ability to tackle today’s challenges,” he said.
But a Ministry of Defence spokesman said Libya had shown the UK remained able to “project air power around the world with great effect and at very short notice.
“Difficult decisions had to be taken to deal with the MOD’s financial blackhole but we are moving towards an enhanced future carrier strike capability with the new Joint Strike Fighter arriving at the same time as the next generation of aircraft carriers.
“This is part of £150 billion that will be invested in new equipment over the next decade.”
