The government’s announcement that it intends to proceed with ordering a third tranche of Typhoon Eurofighters for the RAF imposes a crippling burden on the overstretched British defence budget. It thus provokes widespread dismay in the armed forces. Once again, a big procurement decision has been made for political and industrial reasons, rather than in support of a coherent strategy. Ministers have chosen to avert a row with Britain’s European partners in the project and avoid job losses in aerospace factories, rather than confront real security needs.

The armed forces’ budgetary crisis cannot be solved by marginal savings. Both main political parties agree that defence spending cannot be increased. The books can be balanced only by cutting large programmes.