are too many HQs. The Army, in particular, is over-officered.

• The RAF should be held at 40,000 personnel, and should stick to its core business of deep strike, surveillance, transport and emergency rescue.

• The Royal Navy should stick to its task of keeping the sea lanes open and preserving maritime security.

• The Army should be restructured as a mobile force of about 90,000 plus a permanent reserve and volunteer reserve of about 10-15,000 each. Like the Roman army, it should be built on an ascending scale of simple building blocks, the company (a few hundred), the battle group or battalion of 1,000, and the brigade of about 3,500.

• The old regimental cap badges could be kept for team loyalty, but should fit the new structure rather than the other way round.

• More obscure specialisations such as arctic and jungle warfare should be cut.

• Extravagant equipment programmes need to be cut or cancelled. The Typhoon aircraft (£24bn), the Astute submarine programme

(£5 - £7bn) and the new Joint Combat Aircraft (£20bn-plus) all need reviewing. Likewise the Trident replacement due to be signed in 2012 - at a likely cost of around £75bn over 40 years.

The fact is that ever since World War II, British politicians have been appeasing the defence industry - and the Brown government is no exception. We are lumbered with gargantuan programmes many of which - on purely military (if not political) grounds - could be dropped.

Recently the US Army and Marines produced new training Field and Counter Insurgency Manuals to equip them for the tackling real issues in a real world. They underline the need for sustainable forces and policies. Most important, they point up the need for strategic vision.