The Telegraph reports that the shortages of equipment and medical resources that were identified within the first six months of the Helmand campaign still exist. As the list demonstrates: Lynx helicopters can still not run during the day; resupply runs are not swift enough to avoid bases almost running out of ammunition; and, machine guns and armoured vehicles are still used, although they are obsolescent.
Two more serious revelations could be interpreted as symptoms of a deepening crisis within the armed forces, (not yet the armed farces).
Medics: Wounded troops receive excellent care at the field hospital in Camp Bastion but there are growing concerns that, as the fighting intensifies, hard-pressed doctors and nurses will be unable to cope. There is a shortage of doctors and surgeons from every discipline in the defence medical services with more than a third of posts vacant. Twice in six months, the 40-bed Camp Bastion hospital has run out of beds to treat casualties. Battle casualty replacements: The Army has no formal system of sending troops to Afghanistan to replace those killed or injured in battle. Instead, regiments are told to "make their own arrangements". Most troops being sent to Helmand as reinforcements are young and inexperienced, often straight out of training. There is little faith in this government's promises on improvement, though why the Telegraph quote the (compromised) Patrick 'Big Tent' Mercer rather than Liam Fox dilutes the message. It is compromised by this new potential overstretch in Darfur where Brown has promised a contribution (and where Lord Malloch Brown criticised an "aggressive" stance against Sudan as unrealistic, since the West was unwilling to use military force). Our Prime Minister is treading Blair's path: using the armed forces as a tool to demonstrate strength in foreign policy, without providing the resources to complete their tasks.