Contact has been made with the Editor; the publication is not on the web, pending negotiations and I have been added to the distribution list so other articles may appear here. Note since posting the previous post there have been 6,347 views.
Contact has been made with the Editor; the publication is not on the web, pending negotiations and I have been added to the distribution list so other articles may appear here. Note since posting the previous post there have been 6,347 views.
Last edited by davidbfpo; 06-03-2018 at 09:32 AM.
davidbfpo
A short BBC radio discussion on the issues:Link:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b48z5qHow well equipped is Britain today to defend itself both at home and overseas?Britain's armed forces are struggling to maintain numbers. According to the National Audit Office there is a shortfall of more than 8,000 among military personnel (6% below authorised strength) and there is a significant shortage of personnel with skills in critical areas.
The Army is at its lowest level since the days it was preparing to confront Napoleon, unable to meet even the reduced requirement of 82,000 regulars.
Several reasons are cited: the lack of a current war to act as a recruiting sergeant, a recruitment process that's not working well, discontent within the ranks and a higher number of people leaving the forces than normal.
We examine these causes and ask what effect the shortages have both on the battlefield and strategically.
The speakers are all experts and it is quite good. They conclude 'not critical yet, except in an emergency - even more so for the RAF & RN who have far fewer reserves than the Army'.
Last edited by davidbfpo; 01-15-2019 at 05:03 PM. Reason: 293,580v today; 21k up since April 2018
davidbfpo
Unlike the last post on manpower this report using FOI found the RAF aircraft fleet is short of planes ready to fly:The official response:...142 of 434 of the air force’s planes have been sidelined....Out of 60 Chinook helicopters, 19 are down, while only seven of 23 Pumas are operationalLink to original UK story:https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...orage-13803563 and to a US follow-on which is very slightly different:https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...%99t-fly-41527The sustainment fleet includes aircraft undergoing maintenance, upgrade programs or being held in storage....Modern military aircraft are highly complex machines that require careful management and maintenance to ensure they are fit for service and in sufficient numbers to fulfil tasks we call upon them to complete.
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