Letter
to the Editor - Daily Echo
- July 2004
The Defence Secretary's announcement to radically restructure our
armed forces amounts to a worrying loss of military capability when
the world is all the more dangerous and uncertain. He may claim to
be spending more on defence but in reality is overseeing the largest
catalogue of cuts for decades and at a time when our armed forces
are already overstretched and reaching the point of critical mass.
Money
is however pouring into untested, hi tech equipment such as drone
aircraft in a bid to run fighting systems independent from the US
and allow No.10 to see the battlefield in 'real time.' This shows
a worrying misunderstanding as to how reliant we are on US capabilities
during war fighting as opposed to our military's requirements during
peace keeping operations. As our budget is one tenth of the US',
we do not have the luxury to invest in parallel systems at the expense
to our front line troops.
Mr. Hoon
claims this huge reduction in air, sea and land forces (leaving
a significant capability gap until equipment is replaced) has the
backing of senior officers. I believe it would be difficult to find
anyone in uniform, who's arm is not twisted, in agreement with him.
British Forces are better trained and motivated than any other force
and command greater respect than any other British institution.
This can only continue of money reaches the front line.
Tobias
Ellwood
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate
Bournemouth East
BECA
Haviland Road West
Bournemouth BH1 4JW
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