The 2010 graphic arranges the future force from deployed units through high, enduring, lower, and extended readiness. Its maritime task group requires a carrier, amphibious ships, submarines, minehunters, destroyers, and frigates at high readiness while other surface ships cover deployed, enduring, and lower-readiness duties. A second carrier and amphibious ship sit at extended readiness, and large grey areas assign unspecified support from allies and partners. The diagram repeats combat-ready fast jets at almost every level while omitting the tankers, support aircraft, and other enablers that make those aircraft useful. Missing platform numbers prevent a reliable assessment of whether the force can populate every readiness tier. The ten-year delivery horizon also outlasts the ministers announcing it. Requiring plans longer than five years to become Acts of Parliament would still leave later Parliaments free to change them.
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Reading the Future Force 2020 readiness tiers
The Future Force 2020 graphic distributed carriers, amphibious ships, escorts, submarines, minehunters, brigades, and fast jets across readiness tiers while leaving platform numbers and allied dependencies unclear.