{"id":5317,"date":"2020-10-14T17:39:51","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T17:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/?p=5317"},"modified":"2024-08-15T09:00:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T09:00:20","slug":"uk-defence-review-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davelevy.info\/wiki\/uk-defence-review-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Defence Review 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thinking about defence policy, there’s going to be another review. This started as a collection of articles leaked or inspired probably by senior army officers but in Nov. Johnson made a financial announcement seemingly in advance of the review announcement which led to me doing some reading and looking at previous strategic reviews, the armed services pay review board report, and further technology reviews. I suppose the question is do we know what we’re doing, and I think the answer is “No”. But at least they’re not dressing up in camouflage greens<\/acronym>. For me, the first thing that is required is a threat analysis, it all stems from there and I don’t think the Tories who have been in charge for the last 10 years have it right because amongst other things, they’re fucked over the EU & NATO. Anyway, here are my notes and links.
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Opening Skirmishes<\/a> | Tanks <\/a> | Cummings | The pre-announcement of the 2021 Review | The Integrated Defence Review | Previous White Papers | New Money | Manpower | Assets & Capability | Leadership & Doctrine<\/a> | Waiting for Starmer<\/a><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marines, Tanks and Infantry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before a review, the various branches will leak stories, emphasising their importance  and exaggerating the threat to their capability; I collected a few on the Tanks and Marines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will we keep the Marines and Tanks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/uk-integrated-security-and-defense-review-opportunity-amid-chaos<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Empire Strikes Back: Post-Brexit Britain\u2019s Return to East of Suez<\/a>, this is very good, he or she got there first. ‘Frederick the Great once said, \u201cHe who defends everywhere defends nothing.\u201d A feeble and overstretched global military presence is equal to no presence at all.’<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/speeches\/chief-of-the-defence-staff-general-sir-nick-carter-launches-the-integrated-operating-concept<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. REVEALED: The UK military\u2019s overseas base network involves 145 sites in 42 countries<\/a> showing the UK Military footprint,  from the Daily Maverick<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. , The recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh, fought between Armenia and Azerbaijan, may well be an unusually fruitful seminar for the armies of the West<\/a>. Without getting too deep into the tactical weeds, this … illustrates that the holes in the British Army\u2019s current arsenal are very severe indeed: minimal short-range air defence and electronic warfare capabilities \u2013 both critical to fight enemy UAS \u2013 and no loitering munitions of its own. Much of its artillery is out ranged and obsolete, while its malfunctioning reconnaissance drone \u2013 Watchkeeper \u2013 stars in a charmingly forthright NASA case study of failed public sector technology development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. RAND on the aircraft carriers<\/a> … 75% of cost is post launch<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. On the Marines<\/a> … a puff leak, they’ll probably stay, somewhere it says they’ll refocus on seaborne, commando work and defocus on light infantry.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

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