Book Description

"The government has decided that the defense elements of the National Security Capability Review (NSCR), under way since July 2017, will be the subject of a further review (the 'Modernising Defence Programme' (MDP)), which is expected to reach its conclusions by the summer of 2018. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has made clear that his 'hope' is that the MDP will be published before the House of Commons rises for the summer recess in July 2018. In the 2015 Spending Review, defence was protected from the cuts being made in most other government departments, and spending is due to be 5% higher in real terms in 2020/21 than in 2015/16 ... Yet the 2015 SDSR, held at the same time as the Spending Review, made more commitments than the Ministry of Defence (MoD) could afford from this 5% real -terms increase. As a result, and in the absence of additional resources, the NSCR was set to announce significant net cuts in the MoD's forward programme. Public discussion of the NSCR has been dominated by prolonged, and well-sourced, speculation that these would include reductions in amphibious capability, army personnel numbers and other areas. Significant delay in concluding the MDP risks damaging consequences for the country's international credibility, especially if it has not been concluded before the NATO summit in July 2018. The period up to October 2018 is also a crucial time for the negotiation of a new defense and security partnership with the EU. The MDP will have four strands of work. It will work to 'optimise how the MoD is organised and is operating.' It will 'identify further efficiencies ... including through an aggressive programme of business modernisation.' It will 'improve our performance on the commercial and industrial issues.' Finally it will examine the capabilities that defence contributes to national security, and will 'move quickly to strengthen further or capabilities in priority areas and reduce the resources we devote elsewhere.' The MDP will need to consider some of the following: Maintaining capabilities able to respond to possible conflict on at lease two fronts ... An increased focus on the new technologies, capabilities and doctrines ... Additional resources for the renumeration packages and employment flexibility that will be needed to attract the best people into defence ... Rescheduling selected major procurement programmes ... [and] a readiness to cut back on lower-priority capabilities"--Executive summary.