The Army

[englishman abroad]

MOD cutting the British Army by another 10,000 men.
You'd almost think the government have an understanding with the Russians
On a positive note we aren't going to be fighting any illegal wars any time soon

Army ‘to be cut by 10,000 troops’ in defence review

Forces braced to lose ‘industrial age’ capabilities such as older tanks, ships and warplanes under plan to create more agile military

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Arfa Sleep]

Maybe I'm not fully awake yet but it reads to me like they're expecting the forces to do more with less. Disappointing to see the Hercs go.

 

[elder]

sounds like they want to set the military up to chase 'insurgents' driving around in land cruisers anywhere and everywhere.
troops won't want to be deployed on an 'enduring basis', they'll get worn out and leave. even if they are on some kind of rotation.

 

[monkeytassle]

Isn't this just the momentum of moving to automation though? And if we're honest about things I'd rather use a drone strike than send a 17y old kid into a Warzone. The army has been a brilliant employer/education for many but it also needs to change with time.

 

[vinegar hill]

Even allowing for new technological advances in equipment 72,000 is frightening.
It’s simply cost cutting nothing more nothing less.
A country of 66 million with an army of those numbers, that’s not an army simply a militia.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

Anything that results in less military spending is a good thing in my book. Let's invest in a country worth fighting for, rather than more guns and tanks and all that shite. Won't play well with flag waving army bods, but I don't give a fuck. I'd rather have the money invested elsewhere.

 

[Mantobar]

Anything that results in less military spending is a good thing in my book. Let's invest in a country worth fighting for, rather than more guns and tanks and all that shite. Won't play well with flag waving army bods, but I don't give a fuck. I'd rather have the money invested elsewhere.

Be spent on more nuclear weapons

 

[vinegar hill]

Anything that results in less military spending is a good thing in my book. Let's invest in a country worth fighting for, rather than more guns and tanks and all that shite. Won't play well with flag waving army bods, but I don't give a fuck. I'd rather have the money invested elsewhere.

So wanting your country secure and defended is flag waving.

 

[Shambo]

it reads to me like they're expecting the forces to do more with less

Welcome to conservatism!!

 

[Arfa Sleep]

Anything that results in less military spending is a good thing in my book. Let's invest in a country worth fighting for, rather than more guns and tanks and all that shite. Won't play well with flag waving army bods, but I don't give a fuck. I'd rather have the money invested elsewhere.

It's different pots you know, not one or the other.

Welcome to conservatism!!

Let's keep people overseas for longer while reducing numbers, hmm. Yeah that'll be interesting.

 

[Keawyeds]

Isn't this just the momentum of moving to automation though? And if we're honest about things I'd rather use a drone strike than send a 17y old kid into a Warzone. The army has been a brilliant employer/education for many but it also needs to change with time.

This. I can't really see why any one would want to join the army these days.

 

[monkeytassle]

This. I can't really see why any one would want to join the army these days.

I still would. If my kids wanted to I wouldn't discourage. Discipline. Framework. Core set of values.

 

[Keawyeds]

I still would. If my kids wanted to I wouldn't discourage. Discipline. Framework. Core set of values.

You'd get that joining the emergency services though.

 

[TravellingMackem]

Even allowing for new technological advances in equipment 72,000 is frightening.
It’s simply cost cutting nothing more nothing less.
A country of 66 million with an army of those numbers, that’s not an army simply a militia.

The way wars will general are fought are changing. It’s more about nuclear deterrents, automated technology and things like that. Why send a young kid in when a robot or 100 giant missiles pointed at the other country is, let’s be honest, a whole lot more effective

 

[monkeytassle]

You'd get that joining the emergency services though.

Not at all.

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

I still would. If my kids wanted to I wouldn't discourage. Discipline. Framework. Core set of values.

I can see why that might appeal to a parent. For the kids themselves though I'm amazed any still do it. Not sure if it's still the case (presumably so, due to the obvious need for discipline etc) but I've always assumed you sign up and basically get bollocked and treated like shit for years. Many kids are so comfortable nowadays I just can't see why they'd choose to put themselves through it when they could get a much easier job doing a trade or similar

 

[Keawyeds]

Not at all.

Hmm. Well the bottom line is, we're not at war or likely to be at war with anyone thankfully so ground troop warfare will hopefully be consigned to the past.
My parents sent me to Barney because they thought I'd get more structure, maybe discipline and framework etc.
That didn't really work. I enjoyed he RAF cadets though.

 

[Kent_Mackem]

Even allowing for new technological advances in equipment 72,000 is frightening.
It’s simply cost cutting nothing more nothing less.
A country of 66 million with an army of those numbers, that’s not an army simply a militia.

Who would want to invade our country? We have very little to offer new owners. Our army could never compete with China or Russia anyway.

 

[Keawyeds]

Even allowing for new technological advances in equipment 72,000 is frightening.
It’s simply cost cutting nothing more nothing less.
A country of 66 million with an army of those numbers, that’s not an army simply a militia.

It's ok. We're spending billions on more nukes.
Apparently we need them.

Ridiculous.

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

Who would want to invade our country? We have very little to offer new owners. Our army could never compete with China or Russia anyway.

Haven't read the article but I do hope we spend more on fighting cyber terrorism mind. Nowadays its pretty unlikely that someone is going to rock up with planes and tanks and try to take us over. Seems to lots of state sponsored Web based attacks though, which can have a crippling effect. If we had less soldiers but more people working on combating this kind of attack we'd probably benefit from it