War games

NEARLY two decades have passed since the political icons of the Cold War fought their last battle. Those world-shaking days after the collapse of the Iron Curtain, when perestroika was on the lips of every Westerner, have long since gone but Britain's Armed Forces have been left to soldier on without the wholesale reform needed for the 21st century.

That is down to a lack of political will from successive governments, rather than any fault on the part of Britain's dedicated service personnel. So Liam Fox's decision to launch a wide-ranging reform of how the Ministry of Defence is run is entirely necessary, even if it creates a period of uncertainty in the short-term.

Since 1997 alone, enormous changes have had an impact on the operation of the MoD. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting diffuse and innovative enemies, and a series of shorter military interventions around the world, as well as climbing Whitehall pay, spending cuts and the politicisation of generals created a new series of pressures.

As such, the reforms needed are widespread. Those who serve Queen and country deserve better equipment, higher basic pay and a clearer sense of mission from the Defence Secretary. Senior pay in Whitehall must come down, procurement must be carried out more efficiently, generals should not be "leant on" by politicians and British postings around the world, such as our heavy presence in Germany, 65 years after the end of the Second World War, should be reviewed.

Of course, this has to be done against the backdrop of the harshest public spending cuts for several generations. Achieving such reforms will require a display of political courage to rival the immense physical feats carried out every day by our soldiers, sailors and airmen.