N.B. all data quoted in this post is publicly searchable, views expressed are my own.

Some people hold the view that recent governments have starved the British armed forces of much needed funding, leading to insufficient provision of equipment, overstretched resources and excessive tours of duty. They argue that spending an extra 1% of GDP would equate to an extra 40% on defence, which could restore the Navy to its 2001 strength, increase RAF capability by buying more aircraft and restoring historic army regiments.

Our Armed Forces must have the support they need, whether that is boots, body armour, helicopters or ammunition, and injured personnel deserve the best possible treatment in dedicated military hospitals or wards, and mental health needs serious consideration and funding.

But, rather than rudimentary consideration to simply increase spending, we need to consider HOW the Defence budget is allocated in order to meet the Military Task.

The Military Task

The British Armed Forces’ output is defined by a number of “Military Tasks”, they are: Defending the UK and its Overseas Territories, Providing strategic intelligence, Providing nuclear deterrence, Supporting civil emergency organisations in times of crisis, Defending the UK’s interest by projecting power strategically and through expeditionary intervention, Providing a defence contribution to UK influence and Providing security for stabilisation.

Personnel

By 2015 the armed forces will have reduced their personnel figures considerably; the Army will be reduced by about 7,000 to a final total of around 95,000, the RAF will be reduced by around 5,000 to a final total of about 33,000, the Royal Navy will be reduced by about 5,000 to a final total of about 30,000 and the Civil Service element in the Ministry of Defence will reduce by about 25,000 to a final total of around 60,000.

Equipment

Reductions for the army include Challenger main battle tank numbers reducing by about 40% and heavy artillery numbers such as the 155 mm AS90 reducing by about 35%. It is likely that Army units will have been withdrawn from bases in Germany by 2020.

In the future the RAF will continue to provide the air defence of the United Kingdom and territories in the South Atlantic. The future fast jet force will consist of Eurofighter Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter. The RAF will also provide a fleet of Air Mobility aircraft including 7 x C-17, 22 x A400M and 14 x Voyager.

The Royal Navy will provide the Vanguard submarine force but there are plans for them to be replaced in the late 2020s. The new aircraft carrier will be equipped with Joint Strike Fighters and a range of helicopters that could include Apache, Chinook and Merlin.

Armed Forces Compensation

The revised Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) incorporates the recommendations made by Admiral Lord Boyce, former Chief of Defence Staff, in his review of the scheme in 2010. These changes include the recommendations made by the Independent Medical Expert Group. As a result of the changes to the Scheme, Service personnel who become injured or ill as a result of their service will now be able to benefit from a comprehensive compensation package.
For injury or illness, AFCS provides a tax-free lump sum payment for pain and suffering, the size of which reflects the severity of the injury/illness. Lump sum payments range from £1,200 to £570,000. If someone sustains multiple injuries from the same incident then the Scheme awards compensation for each injury, up to a maximum of £570,000.

Mental Health

Of the 3,942 mental disorders diagnosed in military personnel in 2010, 1,568 were adjustment disorders, 835 were a depressive episode and 249 were PTSD. A review of Defence mental health in 2001 resulted in treatment moving from inpatient to community-based services in the form of military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH). In 2010, staff at these departments assessed more than 5,500 personnel and diagnosed 3,942 with a mental disorder.
Inpatient care in the UK is provided by the NHS, contracted by the Ministry of Defence with close liaison between military mental health professionals and the NHS. In 2010, the armed forces had 315 new inpatient admissions.

Continuous Improvement

Once we have an embedded understanding of our moral obligation to our personnel and their families, and decisions have been made in terms of the required Military Task, Defence Equipment Inventory and Personnel rationalisation; then we face the challenge of how best to utilise the resources we have to achieve the required output and fulfilling our moral obligation to our people.