A thin capability is different from no capability at all. A small force may be overworked and require later recovery, yet it still provides trained people, equipment, and an organizational base that can be expanded in a crisis. Depending entirely on an ally is more dangerous because allied help cannot be guaranteed for every operation. The Falklands War illustrates the distinction: partners supplied valuable intelligence and logistics, while Britain still needed its own combat force to conduct the campaign.
Notable Point · 38:52-39:49
A missing capability cannot be assumed from allies
A small national capability can be reinforced under pressure, but abolishing it leaves a state dependent on whether an ally chooses and manages to help.