Budget for Defence?

I read that the first Boeing P-8A Poseidon has arrived at Kinloss Barracks.  The P-8A is a maritime patrol aircraft designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, signals intelligence and maritime patrol and reconnaissance.  These are all vital roles for a seafaring nation like ours but, incredibly, we have had no such capability for about 10 years.  Ten years ago, if you remember, David Cameron’s reckless defence review retired the Nimrod MR2 early and cancelled its replacement, the Nimrod MR4.  At the same time, the strategically significant airfield at Kinloss was handed over to the Army.  Since then we have been obliged to rely upon our allies for ad hoc maritime support.  For example, those of you who enjoyed the recent Channel 5 documentary about the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, tour of North America, would have probably spotted the vital support of the Danes during the Atlantic crossing.  In the absence of an RAF aircraft capable of providing assistance to the single-engine Hawk geriatric jets as they made their way across the ocean with nowhere to go but into the sea if anything went seriously wrong, the documentary showed a Danish CL-604 Challenger providing that comfort.  Not that it would have been much comfort.  As far as I can see the Challenger is billed multi role platform capable of sea search and rescue.  However, the “rescue” part may be something of stretch.  So if one of the Red Arrows had been forced to eject over the Atlantic the most he could have expected, assuming he survived the parachute descent and made himself at home in his one-man dinghy before succumbing to hyperthermia or drowning would be the knowledge that his plight had not gone unnoticed by the eye in the sky.  In the recent past, a single seat pilot bobbing in his dinghy in the Atlantic would hope that a maritime patrol aircraft, like the Shackleton or the Nimrod, although they couldn’t pluck the survivor from the sea, could drop a Lindholme Gear to enhance chances of survival pending surface rescue.  Lindholme Gear comprised five containers joined together by floating rope.  The containers contained food and water, long-range radio equipment, location aids, medical supplies, and a more salubrious and spacious dinghy.  Fortunately, all the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour jet engines in the Red Arrows Hawk aircraft behaved themselves and no dramatic rescues were required.  Nevertheless, the concept of having rely on a NATO ally for such a fundamental part of capability appears particularly galling and serves to remind us the extent to which defence has been (particularly) neglected recently.

Anyway, all that could be behind us and the 10-year capability shortfall appears about to be closed with addition of a squadron of highly capable maritime aircraft.  Henceforward we may be able to locate and attack submarines that threaten our spanking new carriers, provide exclusive intelligence to protect our merchant fleet and keep an eye on anything snooping on our submarine nuclear deterrent, to name just three vital roles that we have missed.  So far so good with the good news but hang on a minute.  Yesterdays budget, described as the biggest give-away for almost 30 years, had plenty to say about funding excellent public services, levelling-up and getting Britain building, supporting people and families, backing business, investing in innovation, and growing a greener economy, but no headlines about DEFENCE.  To find out what this Government thinks about defence we will have to wait for the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) later this year.  Although there is a commitment to “strengthen Britain’s place in the world,” ominously, all new expenditure will be subject to a rigorous review of outcomes, identifying savings from projects that do not provide value for money. Doubtless there will be a process to assess efficiency but in Mushroom's view, the optimum way of achieveing savings in defence is to invest in new and improved ways of killing the enemy - simples.  The CSR will be informed by the Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Diplomacy Review (Integrated Review) and we are told that the government intends to publish the main conclusions of the Integrated Review alongside the CSR. I don't think it is worth holding one's breath.