Role of armed forces

AS A former naval officer and submariner, I am particularly concerned there hasn’t been adequate coverage of the role of our armed forces on both the security of the UK and the UK’s influence on the world.

Discussion about the armed forces, despite clear intrusions on the world order by Russia, North Korea and non-state actors such as ISIL, has been overshadowed by presentational factors and myopic coverage about costs.

This is only exacerbated by the lack of recognition our forces play in maintaining peace and shaping the world; case in point being the role of our naval service in safeguarding international trade.

People all too often take for granted the growing raft of goodies they purchase over the Internet that are manufactured abroad can only get here if the world’s sea lanes are kept open and safe. One only has to look at the troubles in the countries that border the Red Sea to get this.

The same is quite clearly the case when it comes to exporting our advanced, high value goods to the rest of the world.

As for the nuclear deterrent, there is a similar level of misinformation and hyperbole, all aimed at presenting the decision about Trident as a matter of ‘have Trident and close hospitals’, which is utterly facile.

Trident itself costs about the same as 1.5 per cent of our annual benefits bill, and when you consider the facts presented in this way, it re-shapes the discussion.

The nuclear deterrent is part of a package the country’s leadership wields that ensures not only security, but also that the UK maintains a seat at the very highest table, continues to be taken utterly seriously as a key strategic influencer in the world and opens enormous opportunities across the globe.

The discussion should be about how we ensure our armed forces are manned, equipped and commanded in order to deliver maximum impact for the UK on multiple levels of engagement – diplomatic, world shaping and war fighting – so they can keep us secure and our businesses able to take advantage of the opportunities such security presents.