The UK’s problem like others is that we need to decide whether we want a defence or an offence force. The UK doesn’t need a lot of our current equipment for defence purposes, but we’re not prepared to pay for adequate means for offensive warfare. This leaves us in the worst situation of all, a hugely expensive military machine we don’t actually need, and without the fire power to take part in over seas expeditionary warfare without begging for gear from the US forces. If the UK accepts our place as a small nation and that our forces should be there to provide defence then we could slash our defence budgets and use the money for other things. If we want to pretend we’re still a world power then we need to spend a lot more. And this criticism is not just aimed at the UK, you can say the same about just about every defence machine in the world outside the USA.