{"id":2738,"date":"2015-08-27T22:10:52","date_gmt":"2015-08-27T22:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wiki.davelevy.info\/?p=2738"},"modified":"2022-10-28T13:08:28","modified_gmt":"2022-10-28T13:08:28","slug":"defending-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/defending-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Defending the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What started it<\/h2>\n<p>I found myself doing some reading about recent British Defence strategy and policy. It started with <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.channel4.com\/snowblog\/time-britain-stock-war\/24897\">a blog by John Snow<\/a>, questioning the British military&#8217;s obsession with supporting the US, it&#8217;s a sort of trickle down, but we can&#8217;t afford the technology any more. Military technology works because its new and different and expensive to copy and counter. Snow points at James Meek&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/v36\/n24\/james-meek\/worse-than-a-defeat\">review of five books about Britain&#8217;s War in Afghanistan, called &#8220;worse than defeat&#8221;<\/a> in the London Review of Books.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Meek is exceptionally critical of the leadership of the British Army, and Tony Blair of course, but he is more generous about Brown. Keypoints to me are<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>the suggestion that it is the <acronym title=\"Chief of Defence Staff\">CDS<\/acronym> refusing to actually take the budgetary choices required of them by the politicians.<\/li>\n<li>He is interesting in reporting the decisions about the maintenance of the the aircraft carrier fleet, the decision to use SVTOL and the decisions to try and reverse it, and the lack of surface defensive fleet, a weakness possibly dating back to the 1980&#8217;s.<\/li>\n<li>He also talks about the Army leaderships conservatism in for seeing the next conflict in terms of strategy and preparation and its refusal despite the Army being defined by asymmetric conflicts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The books are,<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><cite>The Good War: Why We Couldn\u2019t Win the War or the Peace in Afghanistan<\/cite> by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Fairweather,+Jack\">Jack Fairweather<\/a><br \/>\nCape, 488\u00a0pp, \u00a320.00, December 2014, ISBN\u00a0978\u00a00\u00a0224\u00a009736\u00a09<\/li>\n<li><cite>Investment in Blood: The True Cost of Britain\u2019s Afghan War<\/cite> by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Ledwidge,+Frank\">Frank Ledwidge<\/a><br \/>\nYale, 287\u00a0pp, \u00a310.99, July 2014, ISBN\u00a0978\u00a00\u00a0300\u00a020526\u00a08<\/li>\n<li><cite>British Generals in Blair\u2019s Wars<\/cite> edited by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Bailey,+Jonathan\">Jonathan Bailey<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Iron,+Richard\">Richard Iron<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Strachan,+Hew\">Hew Strachan<\/a><br \/>\nAshgate, 404\u00a0pp, \u00a319.95, August 2013, ISBN\u00a0978\u00a01\u00a04094\u00a03736\u00a09<\/li>\n<li><cite>An Intimate War: An Oral History of the Helmand Conflict 1978-2012<\/cite> by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lrb.co.uk\/search?author=Martin,+Mike\">Mike Martin<\/a><br \/>\nHurst, 389\u00a0pp, \u00a325.00, April 2014, ISBN\u00a0978\u00a01\u00a084904\u00a0336\u00a06<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/RA.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2741 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/RA.png\" alt=\"RA\" width=\"650\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/RA.png 650w, https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/RA-300x92.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I was pointed at the Defence Select Committee, report on the Management of the Defence Strategy and Management.<\/p>\n<h2>The Defence Select Committee<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.publications.parliament.uk\/pa\/cm201415\/cmselect\/cmdfence\/682\/682.pdf\">Decision-making in Defence Policy<\/a> by the House of Commons Defence Committee, <em>March 2015<\/em><\/p>\n<p><script> function maxdisplay() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"hocquotes\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><button onclick=\"maxdisplay()\">View Quotes<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"hocquotes\">\n<blockquote><p>Lord Levene\u2019s reforms sought to address\u2014among other things\u2014irrational optimism, the lack of long-term strategy, and the absence of clear accountability, in MoD decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>We have been lucky enough to inherit the finest military in the world. We owe them the right decisions<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>We believe that there is still a crucial lack of authoritative, expert information which can serve as the basis for strong defence decision-making, in particular on the detailed political situation in conflict areas. We do not believe that the existing information-gathering institutions including within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and intelligence agencies \u2014 are currently capable of providing information of sufficient quality and quantity.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>We therefore conclude that unless the Government makes better use of its decision-making institutions, and draws on higher quality information and advice, there is a significant risk that future decisions on defence and security issues will be as poor as in the past, with consequences which are just as damaging<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>This used the decisions around the procurement of the carriers and the decision to deploy in Helmand as case studies to critique decision making in the MoD, although not in the service arms.<\/p>\n<p>It pointed me at\u00a0 The Levene Review 2011<\/p>\n<h2>The Levene Review<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/defence-reform-an-independent-report-into-the-structure-and-management-of-the-ministry-of-defence--2\">https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/defence-reform-an-independent-report-into-the-structure-and-management-of-the-ministry-of-defence&#8211;2<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/27408\/defence_reform_report_struct_mgt_mod_27june2011.pdf\">https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/27408\/defence_reform_report_struct_mgt_mod_27june2011.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>and comments<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-wpview-marker=\"http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk%2F2011%2Fmay%2F27%2Farmed-forces-face-radical-change\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk\/2011\/may\/27\/armed-forces-face-radical-change\">http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk\/2011\/may\/27\/armed-forces-face-radical-change<\/a><\/li>\n<li data-wpview-marker=\"http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defenceiq.com%2Fair-land-and-sea-defence-services%2Farticles%2Flord-levene-s-recommendations-for-reforming-the-uk%2F\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.defenceiq.com\/air-land-and-sea-defence-services\/articles\/lord-levene-s-recommendations-for-reforming-the-uk\/\">Lord Levene\u2019s recommendations for reforming the UK MoD<\/a>\u00a0from Defence IQ<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It really is very managerial, is it really about effectiveness or just an investment in cost control.<\/p>\n<h2 data-wpview-marker=\"http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defenceiq.com%2Fair-land-and-sea-defence-services%2Farticles%2Flord-levene-s-recommendations-for-reforming-the-uk%2F\">The Strategy<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/eurofighter.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2742\" src=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/eurofighter.png\" alt=\"eurofighter\" width=\"650\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/eurofighter.png 650w, https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/eurofighter-300x86.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Like all changes of administration, particularly when the colour changes the last Government i.e the 1st Cameron administration conducted a Defence Strategy review<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-wpview-marker=\"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F62482%2Fstrategic-defence-security-review.pdf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/62482\/strategic-defence-security-review.pdf\">Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review <\/a>Oct 2010 HMG<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It reduced the Army manpower which means the reliance on the Territorial Army becomes mandatory, the <acronym title=\"it needs both air defence and ground attack, which is why the euro fighter doesn't work it can't do both\">RAF gets one fighter plane<\/acronym> and the Navy gets two carriers without planes.<\/p>\n<p>I wrote about<a href=\"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/on-trident-renewal\/\"> its impacts<\/a> on my blog,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The 2010 Defence review identified the lack of sufficient heavy cargo planes as another serious deficiency.\u00a0 We have no maritime fixed wing planes (but we do have two aircraft carriers, which we may not be able to defend in a battle zone, due to the weakness of the rest of the surface fleet, the failure of <acronym title=\"the sea viper surface to air missile doesn't work\">the air defence destroyer\u2019s primary weapon system<\/acronym>, together with the absence of planes). The army is the smallest it\u2019s been in peace time. (The record in Afghanistan shows it cannot mount a successful expeditionary force, although that might have been missing political will, but the inclusion of soldiers in an organisation called the Territorials in an overseas theatre of operations is another illustration of the weakness in complement of today\u2019s army. )<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Guardian on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2014\/dec\/26\/putin-raf-typhoon-aircraft-russia\">the long and costly gestation of the Typhoon\/Eurofighter<\/a>, its ageing justification, rescued by Russia&#8217;s new found shadow and real aggression,\u00a0its questionable design goals, its inflexibility and its conflict of requirements with <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20161212063444\/http:\/\/www.raf.mod.uk\/equipment\/f35jointstrikefighter.cfm\">the F35 Joint Strike Fighter<\/a>; a choice between Europe and the US.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2010\/03\/30\/frigates_wag_the_dog\">The Register, of all people, on the Type 26 frigate<\/a> or Frigates aren&#8217;t very good, Type 26 isn&#8217;t the kind of ship the Navy needs to use: It&#8217;s the kind of ship that BAE Systems needs to make<\/p>\n<p>They&#8217;re not impressed with the T45 (Daring class Anti-Aircraft Destroyer) either, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2011\/05\/20\/daring_armed\/\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2011\/05\/20\/daring_armed\/<\/a> ; it&#8217;s seen as under armed (particularly against aircraft and\/or incoming missiles) and too expensive to act as an anti-submarine helicopter platform.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What started it I found myself doing some reading about recent British Defence strategy and policy. It started with a blog by John Snow, questioning the British military&#8217;s obsession with supporting the US, it&#8217;s a sort of trickle down, but we can&#8217;t afford the technology any more. Military technology works because its new and different&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[140],"tags":[1013,939,932,1011,936,937,1012,933,938,935,141,934,1014,181,1010,1009],"class_list":["post-2738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-army","tag-coalition-government","tag-defence","tag-eurofighter","tag-james-meek","tag-john-snow","tag-jsf","tag-levene-review","tag-lrb","tag-military","tag-politics-2","tag-strategy","tag-territorials","tag-uk","tag-warplanes","tag-warships"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/warshipsatpompey-w1024.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2738"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6292,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2738\/revisions\/6292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}