Disaster highlights role of defence

The argument concerns the role of our armed services. Having stretched resources with campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, it became apparent when calls were being made for intervention in 'Arab Spring' related affairs as well as longer lasting conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, that our role as global policeman had its limits. Not for moral or political reasons, just a lack of resources. This has been one focus of attack for those who have been opposed to spending cuts over the years that have repeated taken slices off the defence budgets. And the debate continues. Are the UK's armed forces intended purely for our defence, or do we have further reaching global obligations – both military and humanitarian. Last week's typhoon highlighted the situation. While tens of thousands urgently needed help the nearest ship the UK could offer was a destroyer that was five days away. Most significantly it carries a Lynx helicopter but also offers engineering and first aid support. Every little helps of course but the Philippines could have done with the World appearing at its doorstep within hours rather than days or weeks. If Britain, along with every other country, is going to play a positive and responsible part in this global village then we need to maintain investment in the military, because they are really our only internationally deployable resource. If global warming continues (as some predict), and results in more ferocious weather (as the same people also predict), then we all need to accept the consequences. Domestically too we always have the armed forces as back-up when faced with industrial action or extreme weather. Incidentally, the Royal Naval fleet stands at 79 ships at the moment, but that includes submarines, mine clearing boats and small patrol vessels that have very specific roles and this cuts the useful active fleet for general duties in half. I doubt that HMS Victory, which is also included in the fleet, is likely to be called into active service either. The bottom line is that the defence supply chain in the UK remains a very accomplished one, but will not reappear once it goes away. There is much expertise locked up in electronics design and manufacture that is an integral part of this supply chain but equally is dependent on it. Short-term decisions designed to cut costs may have consequences in the years and decades to come unless we decide not just what our military capabilities should be, but also what the responsibly of the military are.