THE BEST DEFENCE

THE new coalition British government is planning major defence cutbacks and the size of the British army is expected to be reduced from 100'000 to 80'000 men and women.

This is rather an odd decision when you think that many military experts have already claimed that the British army is too small to carry out its present commitments in Afghanistan and in the other world trouble spots. Even with its strength of 100'000 the British has problems maintaining 10'000 troops in Afghanistan. So what is the situation going to be like when the army is reduced to 80'000. The Royal Air Force is also expected to be hit hard by the cuts but the Royal Navy will escape relatively easily. The two giant aircraft carriers are still expected to be built along with new destroyers and submarines. Surely, Britain´s limited defence resources should be spent on the British army which is doing the fighting in Afghanistan. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force obviously have a much smaller role. I also hope that the latest defence review takes into account that Britain is no longer fighting the Cold war. The British armed forces need a radical reshape because the armed forces are facing numerous new challenges from Afghanistan to fighting piracy.