Introduction - DEFENCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 51

Introduction

Written by DMJ Editor Anthony Hall

This edition of DMJ arrives as the Strategic Defence and Security Review sets out its priorities for cuts and presents the MoD with new policy imperatives.

As General Sir Richard Dannatt mentions in his foreword, it is only now that the debates begin. The true and long-term implications of the SDSR will be felt for years, not just among serving personnel, but among their dependants, and among the communities across the country that have come to rely on the camps and bases that face closure. Industry will have to adapt, and doubtless cherished programmes that have been developing quietly in the background will just as quietly close. This is the future that the UK defence establishment must face while still fighting a shooting war.

Future editions will provide a forum for the debates and informed discussions that will be taking place in coming months, but for issue 51, my first as Editor, DMJ provides an international view. We talk to the Canadian Forces about their increasingly active role in the Arctic, and feature the US Army's Lieutenant General William B Caldwell, Commanding General of NATO's Training Mission in Afghanistan, who explains that despite current challenges of leader development, literacy and attrition, the work of his command must be seen through.

The impact of operations in Afghanistan is a theme that runs through this edition, from the preparatory leadership training being provided by the School of Infantry at Catterick, to the work of rehabilitation units across the UK providing care for the injured. The arrival of new equipment for Herrick is not overlooked, with features on the new updates to the Mastiff being provided by the ongoing UOR programme.
The future of the services is a subject that must, of course, be addressed, and is covered in three key articles. Air Marshal Timo Anderson, the Director General of the new Military Aviation Authority, explains his policy objectives for defence aviation; Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton describes the necessity of retaining the RAF's ISTAR capabilities; while Commodore Bill Walworth, Head of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, considers the RFA's continuing importance to operations across the globe.

The Spending Review will also affect pensions, and we highlight the campaigning work of the Forces Pension Society and its assertion that proposed changes by the Coalition Government will reduce entitlements across the board.

I hope you find the articles included both useful and informative. On a personal note, I'd like to thank all those in the defence establishment who made time to contribute to and assist in the preparation of this edition during the run-up to the SDSR's publication. Your help has been much appreciated.