Clive Fairweather: Navy will have to pipe down, RAF fall in line

As soldiers were desperately moved out of Iraq to make up numbers in Afghanistan, it seems that neither 10 Downing Street nor Whitehall had got itself organised on anything resembling a war footing.

It now falls to his successor, General Sir David Richards, to take up the cudgels when defence is at a crossroads, and when jockeying for place in a major review beyond the election is vital if the next military generation is not to stumble at the first few fences.

Richards is no cudgel- wielder, he is too smooth for that, but he will use clever logic and persuasion to try and shelter his troops from the inescapable fact that the budget is in an ever-tightening downward spiral.

Not only has he to make sure we can continue to make a worthwhile contribution in Afghanistan (and be seen training as many Afghans as possible before scrambling for the exits), there has to be enough men and equipment to meet unforeseen conflicts still as yet beyond our radar screens. The nature of war is rapidly changing due to the growing influence of worldwide communications, particularly the internet, making the acquisition of intelligence an even greater priority. The use of drones and other "smart" intelligence technology will be paramount. Yet if the army has learnt one bitter lesson in the last two conflicts, it is that it will always need "boots on the ground". If Richards is unable to drum up at least an extra 8,000-10,000 troops, he might as well start angling for a place in the Lords now, as he will have failed.

Meanwhile, the navy will just have to bite its lip. It has had more than its share with the procurement of two huge aircraft carriers, whilst the RAF needs to rebalance itself and focus more on support helicopters and transports rather than obsessing with slick but costly jets.

Richards has a ruthless streak in him – it will be sorely needed in the vicious battles now raging across Whitehall.

Clive Fairweather is a former SAS deputy commander.