From the Lexington Institute.
The slow erosion of British military power, like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, is an important lesson for national leaders in this country. Once a mighty empire with fleets deployed in many oceans and an Army on which the sun never set, Britain is now reduced to a middling power that is unable to operate even close to the boundaries of Europe without substantial support from its allies. Whether it is maintaining a naval aviation arm, deploying a fifth generation tactical fighter force or sustaining a nuclear deterrent, Britain is dependent on that special relationship with the United States. The situation is likely to get worse as the military faces not only near term budget cuts of eight percent but the need to close a $60 billion gap between projected costs and planned funding over the next decade.Read the whole thing but that short paragraph should chill the bones of every fan of the British military and should shock and dismay the citizens of the UK.
A middling power and unless changes are made then it will surely become a minor one. Already the defense establishment of Europe is turning away from the UK. The Germans, Poles and French recently formed a Euro-Brigade with the Poles forming the bulk of the combat forces, the Germans providing logistical support and the French providing medical help.
From reading the press release its apparent that the Brits weren't even consulted.
Once a force in European military affairs, it now finds itself torn between maintaining a "special" relationship with the US, developing a cooperative defense force with the French and looming irrelevancy.
The UK's military is in a hurt locker.