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| The army's big dilemma: what will it do when the Afghan war is over? | The army's big dilemma: what will it do when the Afghan war is over? |
| (10 days later) | |
| Beyond the political row about cap badges, old regiments being axed and merged lie more fundamental questions. | Beyond the political row about cap badges, old regiments being axed and merged lie more fundamental questions. |
| What is the army going to do once British troops end their combat role in Afghanistan in 2014? What kind of war will it be asked to fight? There is little appetite for sending soldiers abroad to be picked off again by insurgents in conflicts which cannot, as army commanders are the first to admit, be solved by military means. | What is the army going to do once British troops end their combat role in Afghanistan in 2014? What kind of war will it be asked to fight? There is little appetite for sending soldiers abroad to be picked off again by insurgents in conflicts which cannot, as army commanders are the first to admit, be solved by military means. |
| The army is now the poor relation of the three armed services. It is looking for new roles as the navy is promised two expensive large aircraft carriers with expensive planes to go on them, a fleet of the most advanced submarines in the world and nuclear weapons, and as the RAF keeps its fast jets while it is equipped with more pilotless drones, which will play an increasingly significant role in future conflicts. | The army is now the poor relation of the three armed services. It is looking for new roles as the navy is promised two expensive large aircraft carriers with expensive planes to go on them, a fleet of the most advanced submarines in the world and nuclear weapons, and as the RAF keeps its fast jets while it is equipped with more pilotless drones, which will play an increasingly significant role in future conflicts. |
| For the past decade the army has been stretched as a result of the invasion of Iraq, the deployment to Afghanistan and their aftermath. But they were stretched not because of lack of numbers but as a result of bad intelligence and hopelessly optimistic assumptions about what to expect. This in turn led to misguided tactics and inadequate kit. | For the past decade the army has been stretched as a result of the invasion of Iraq, the deployment to Afghanistan and their aftermath. But they were stretched not because of lack of numbers but as a result of bad intelligence and hopelessly optimistic assumptions about what to expect. This in turn led to misguided tactics and inadequate kit. |
| A leaner, more agile, more flexible, army will be better able to cope with an "increasingly uncertain world", Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, said on Thursday. | A leaner, more agile, more flexible, army will be better able to cope with an "increasingly uncertain world", Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, said on Thursday. |
| But defence chiefs made clear that the emphasis in future will shift away from the kind of "enduring operations" that Iraq and Afghanistan became. Though one airborne and three armoured brigades will continue to be trained for "the full spectrum of intervention tasks", the emphasis will shift away from heavy warfighting to routine, less demanding tasks. | But defence chiefs made clear that the emphasis in future will shift away from the kind of "enduring operations" that Iraq and Afghanistan became. Though one airborne and three armoured brigades will continue to be trained for "the full spectrum of intervention tasks", the emphasis will shift away from heavy warfighting to routine, less demanding tasks. |
| The British army will be involved more in what the Ministry of Defence described as "wider engagement overseas to help to build capacity in friendly nations' armies". General Sir Peter Wall, the head of the army, spoke of "a new idea" – the army's potential involvement in "political, cultural shifts around the world". | The British army will be involved more in what the Ministry of Defence described as "wider engagement overseas to help to build capacity in friendly nations' armies". General Sir Peter Wall, the head of the army, spoke of "a new idea" – the army's potential involvement in "political, cultural shifts around the world". |
| He painted a picture earlier this year of an army engaged in more limited operations such as counter-terrorism activites in co-operation with intelligence agencies and indigenous forces. He spoke then about "precision in the application of military force" with "very close integration with other organs of state as well as international agencies" – in other words, special forces, MI6 and MI5, as well as the UN and humanitarian agencies. | He painted a picture earlier this year of an army engaged in more limited operations such as counter-terrorism activites in co-operation with intelligence agencies and indigenous forces. He spoke then about "precision in the application of military force" with "very close integration with other organs of state as well as international agencies" – in other words, special forces, MI6 and MI5, as well as the UN and humanitarian agencies. |
| Lengthy deployments would take the form of "stabilisation operations rather than a perpetual fight", he suggested. This was a key message behind Thursday's decision to slash the army by 20%. An argument could be made for even further cuts in artillery regiments and armoured cavalry units as the army gets rid of heavy tanks and howitzers. | Lengthy deployments would take the form of "stabilisation operations rather than a perpetual fight", he suggested. This was a key message behind Thursday's decision to slash the army by 20%. An argument could be made for even further cuts in artillery regiments and armoured cavalry units as the army gets rid of heavy tanks and howitzers. |
| Future conflicts will be fought more and more by "precision" missiles fired from submarines or high-flying aircraft, and by armed surveillance drones. British forces will have a much lighter presence on the ground, limited to small groups of special forces and instructors training local troops, in Africa for example. | Future conflicts will be fought more and more by "precision" missiles fired from submarines or high-flying aircraft, and by armed surveillance drones. British forces will have a much lighter presence on the ground, limited to small groups of special forces and instructors training local troops, in Africa for example. |
| The army on Thursday referred to "conflict prevention" and "post-conflict" engagements. Senior defence officials say it needs to regroup after Iraq and Afghanistan, two increasingly unpopular conflicts which dragged the army into political controversy soldiers did not like. | The army on Thursday referred to "conflict prevention" and "post-conflict" engagements. Senior defence officials say it needs to regroup after Iraq and Afghanistan, two increasingly unpopular conflicts which dragged the army into political controversy soldiers did not like. |
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