Aircraft
Savage Cuts for the RAF in UK Defense Review
Speculation prior to the UK defense review suggested F-35 acquisition would be pegged at 48, but purchases will continue, although likely to be limited.
The Royal Air Force’s Sentry AEW.Mk 1 fleet has been under strain in recent years, and is to be the first victim of the defense review, being retired this year. (Photo: Crown Copyright/OGL)
The Royal Air Force’s Sentry AEW.Mk 1 fleet has been under strain in recent years, and is to be the first victim of the defense review, being retired this year. (Photo: Crown Copyright/OGL)

The United Kingdom’s recent defense and security review, and the Defence Command Paper Defence in a Competitive Age that followed it, aimed to identify and understand future threats and to invest in the capabilities needed to defeat them. The review process was shaped more by budgetary constraints than by military necessity and ended up imposing a series of cuts to force size, structure, and equipment.