Aug 07. MoD: Defence Plan 2007 Published. The MoD released a Plan which “sets out the Defence objectives for the financial year 2007/08”. A further plan, reflecting the outcome of the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, is to be published in Spring 2008. The plan refines the trained manpower requirement to be achieved by 1 Apr 08, as RN (including RM) – 36,260; Army – 101,855 and RAF – 40,790 giving a total of 178,905 (with tolerances between +1% and –2%).
Comment: The tone of the Defence Plan is set by the photographs of the Defence Management Board inside the front cover: the six four-star Officers among the 14 Members all wear plain clothes. The 44 pages which follow are largely “management philosophy” of the most tedious kind. Release of the Plan was not published but it appears to have been posted on the MoD website (www.mod.uk) on 23 Jul 07. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0734, 03 Sep 07)
06 Aug 07. Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS): To Be Updated. The Defence Equipment Minister said (6 Aug 07) that an update to the DIS was to be published in December 2007. The update would include MoD policy on the engagement and involvement of small and medium enterprises in the supply chain. Comment: The DIS was published as a Defence White Paper (Command 6697) on 15 Dec 05. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0734, 03 Sep 07)