Savage cuts FOR THE RAF

摘要

It is known officially as 'Global Britain in a Competitive Age: The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy', but no one would have guessed that from the optimistic words of senior officers. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston said: "Today's Defence Command Paper is our mandate for the Royal Air Force to underpin UK sovereignty, security and prosperity into the future." Wigston will be "underpinning" with a significantly smaller force at his disposal, after some significant capability holidays and having lost some really useful assets. And while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace criticised some of his parliamentary colleagues for wanting to "play Top Trumps with our force numbers", there is no doubt force size can be vital and we should perhaps remember that quantity has a quality all of its own.