When the second version of the Modernising Defence Programmes (MDP) review process finally arrived in late December it was rather like an empty bus arriving without any seats! A harsh view perhaps but one implying that, although MDP did nothing to make the current weakened defence situation any worse, was full of positive prose about where defence wants to be and contained plenty of hope and intention but no more in the way of specific detail than the earlier attempt to pull the wool over the eyes in July. Sadly, I am left to view MDP as being yet another opportunity lost.Having published to little applause the initial summary view of the MDP process back in July, it is hardly surprising that the more refined and tightly worded version that arrived in December was quickly found wanting. What you see is what you got in MDP - loads of ambition, loads of intent and, unfortunately, loads of fluff and little in the way of useful detail on which the military and industry can build.
展开▼
