The Problems

The lack of manpower in all three services, especially the Army, has run them down below the safety level. As we see in Iraq at present they are vastly overstretched.

Due to gross under funding, by this and previous Governments, morale and confidence is very low. This must have a big influence on the amount of young people leaving the armed services. We do not therefore consider the Government able to guarantee this obligation because of the following.

Equipment is in short supply, and much of it is shoddy and not up to the job. i.e. Boots that fall apart in Desert heat

Rifles that continually jammed until the fault was rectified at a cost of £92 million.

A shortage of body armour and ammunition as in the early stages of the Iraq Conflict.

Royal Navy ships not replaced early enough and scaled down on the grounds of cost

New equipment often late coming into service. In our opinion the Armed forces are top heavy with too many high ranking Officers such as:

Approximately 180 Brigadiers and 80 Generals to run 2 operational divisions and support units In the Royal Navy we have approximately 41 Admirals with only 40 Warships to look after. The Royal Airforce has approximately 40 Air Marshalls for 36 Squadrons (a squadron normally consists of 10 Aircraft)

The Defence Procurement Agency is in our opinion incompetent and wastes Tax Payers money, and spends far too much money employing civilian consultants, It purchased Eight Chinook helicopters for special forces use at a cost of £259 million pounds (£32 million each) which are claimed to be unable to fly above 500 feet unless the sky is clear.

The Apache helicopter produced in America costs about £12 million each.We bought 67 (Total cost just over £800 million). To protect jobs the M.O.D. paid for a new production line at Westlands in Somerset to build them here. This pushed up costs to about £60 million each. It will be 2012 at the earliest before all 67 are operational.

We the taxpayer paid for all this. In Iraq they failed to provide adequate Chemical and Biological Filters for tanks deployed in the expectation of facing weapons of mass destruction.

The British Armed Forces Federation

This federation is being formed by officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and below in the Army and the equivalent ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. This body aims to provide legal and moral support to soldiers in dispute with their commanders. Two of its aims are to lobby for better equipment and medical back up for those in the front line.

The Solutions

Popular Alliance would carry out an in depth review of all services to ascertain the adequate personnel levels needed to defend our country and interests abroad.

DPA

The Defence Procurement Agency would be completely reorganised and staffed with representatives, preferably with an engineering background, from the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force. They would work as a team with Civil Servants, Accountants and Negotiators to buy top quality weapons, and obtain the best value for money. No equipment would be downgraded to meet a price, and no outside business consultants would be employed.

All new weapons and equipment to be procured, where ever possible , in the United Kingdom.

Unnecessary Health and Safety restrictions that hamper the efficiency of our armed forces will be removed.

Service Pay Over the past few years service pay levels have been allowed to fall behind the average in similar civilian jobs. To remedy this and to attract more top quality young men and women to consider a career in the armed services, all pay levels will be reviewed and upgraded. This will apply more so to junior officers and all other ranks.

Special Forces

To bring Special Forces units back up to strength and to appreciate the very dangerous duties they carry out an additional bonus will be paid.

Command

Commanders in the field would be given more freedom of action in their rules of engagement, with less dominance from Whitehall. No service man or woman on active service will be charged with an offence and tried in a civil court.

Royal Navy

The two new aircraft carriers on order for the Royal Navy (original specification of 60,000 Tons, now reduced to 50,000 Tons) would be increased to three. They will have a new specification of a minimum 60,000 Tons and each to be capable of carrying a minimum of 40 aircraft. One vessel would be on operational service, one on refit and the third one on diplomatic/ courtesy visits. It would also be available to give immediate aid to any disaster area any where in the world. Also, it would act as reserve support for the carrier on operations.

Our Nuclear Submarines will maintain their place in the defence of our country and when required will be refitted with new technology as well as tactical and strategic warheads.

The Fleet Harriers will be kept in service until replaced by the American and British built Joint Strike Aircraft.

To restore the prestige of Her Majesty the Queen when representing our country on state visits abroad a new Royal Yacht would be commissioned.

This would be designed to easily convert to a hospital ship if needed.

The Eurofighter due to come into service shortly would be adapted for use on land and sea. All R.A.F. pilots would be trained to take off and land on aircraft carriers should they need to in an emergency.

Military Tattoo

The annual Military Tattoo will be reinstated immediatly as the show piece of our armed forces, and as an arm for recruitment.

Shows will be held in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Regiments

Where appropriate, we would reintroduce County names and affiliations to our Infantry Regiments.

Our Loyal friends the Gurkhas

Raised in the year 1815, they served in the British Indian Army until 1947/48. The four regiments were then formed as the Gurkha Brigade and became part of the British Army. During this time they have been awarded approximately 17 Victoria Crosses as well as many other medals. Their first loyalty is to our Queen and their fighting qualities are known, respected and feared worldwide. We pledge to raise their pay and pension levels to the same as British Regiments, with no more reduction in manpower.

Popular Alliance – A Fresh Light On Politics