Rebuilding British forces by completing the formations already planned

How would you rebuild the British armed forces to an adequate level for current conditions?

Fill the gaps in existing formations and equipment programmes first, including frigates, an armoured division, and aircraft for separate naval and land-based tasks.

Asked how to rebuild British forces to an adequate level, Clarke puts filling existing gaps first. His examples are frigate numbers, a properly constituted armoured division, and enough aircraft for both land-based strike and carrier operations. Another participant calls for weapons covering the full range of missions. Clarke agrees with the need for capability but insists that existing forces first reach their intended strength, followed by the gaps between them. His criticism is directed at successive programmes that fail to deliver their full planned force.