Tough choices on weapons cuts!!!!!

Worrying story in The Guardian:

"Ministers and officials are drawing up plans for sweeping cuts and delays in most of Britain's big weapons projects as they face the biggest crisis in the defence budget since the end of the cold war, according to government and independent sources.
Huge orders for aircraft carriers, ships, fighter jets, and hi-tech vehicles are accumulating at a time when running costs are rocketing because of gruelling military operations and large increases in the cost of fuel, "

Guardian Link

 

Does this mean that Pusser's war canoe may end up being just that?
And of course similar bad news for the Army and RAF. :threaten:

 

Until the government stumps up and pays for it's image wars in full the defence budget is always going to be tight, but having seen Brown in action before they are trying to make it sound even worse before the announcement so that when the atual plan turns out to be not as bad every one is pleased. All they are doing at the moment is spinning. Even so there will be cuts again and if they don't stop this and start spending more on equipment now it will not be long before every thing we have is worn out and there is nothing to replace it.

Oh the benefits of Browns sound financial management.

 

It's a hardy perrenial, the centre goes through this agony every year as the options are discussed. It's always a really tough year and there are always tough decisions to be made.

It's all part of the strategic positioning/ posturing amongst the various sponsors to get some weight behind letting their projects through.

All that said there are a couple of projects I think couild be reasonably culled.

 

If they want to cut the projects they need to cut the wars. We may have to bring the Victory back in service.

 

Actually no, the budget is finite and in some ways it is an either/ or decision. The operational tempo means that a lot of the budget which is planned for a project ends up being burnt up a lot more quickly than originally envisaged.

Government budgeting processes are extremely slow, realistically it takes two years to get hold of funding, so if we're supporting the operations then there just isn't enough available to support all the projects. Different decisions can be made, moving spend around, cancelling outright or de-scoping the solution compared to the requirement. Each of those generally have a longer term cost impact anyway, usually growth, which compounds the difficulty. Also the decision process consumes an inordinate amount of cash in its own right; it's fundamentally flawed.

The government really needs to invest more in defence, that would allow us to support our current commitments and secure the operational capability of the future. However defence doesn't secure much in the way of votes since in real terms it doesn't directly impact on many peoples lives and few understand the indirect impact of a healthy defence environment.

 

Of course, had they not bailed out Northern Rock, they would not have this shortfall in revenue! If people want defence and Britain to project its foreign policy decisions by force, then the taxpayer must be willing to foot the bill through higher taxation or cutting back services. Likewise politicians from across the responsible political spectrum must be prepared to tell the public that fiscal sacrifices are needed for this purpose, instead or promising jam today and everyday and pretending that there are no cost implications.

 

MOD still would though.

I'd agree with that, personally I'd look to reduce expenditure to free up resource.

This is supposed to be a democracy, that's not going to happen.

 

Time for the Chiefs to say 'Sorry Minister, not going to happen' next time they say 'send x,y or z' to deal with the next problem

 

Oh--yes please!!! Picture the scene Big bad wooden triple decker bearing down on some poor rag heads Dhow, cannons at the ready. All you gunners having orgasmic spasms the real world has arrived at last! We can knock the s*** out of our medieval "friends" as they are still in the 15th century re their calendar.
As a former stoker can I come along? I can always grease the cannons trolleys!!