Delivering Security in a Changing World
Future Capabilities

Chapter 4
Conclusions

4.1 The Defence White Paper explained how we should exploit the opportunities presented by effects based planning and operations combined with highly networked and adaptable forces across all three Services.  It also set out the complex nature of future threats and challenges to our security which would require our forces continually to adapt and modernise.  The benchmark against which modern systems will be measured will be their ability to link up with others and exploit real time intelligence to achieve rapid and precise effects, across the full range of threats and environments.  The 2003 Iraq Conflict showed the dramatic advances our forces have made in their ability to launch expeditionary operations, achieving rapid and precise military effects in the combat phase before moving seamlessly into stabilisation and reconstruction phases.  These advances have been made possible by the changes set in hand by the Strategic Defence Review,  the New Chapter,and confirmed by the White Paper of December 2003.  The force structure changes set out in this document continue this process of modernisation, investing our resources in the capabilities and structures which provide flexible and adaptable high quality Armed Forces, equipped to deal with the challenges and threats of the future.

Annex: Determining the Force Structure »

Last Updated: 26 Jul 04