Context
UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant has warned that intense aerial operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan were placing a huge burden on personnel and equipment. The RAF’s second in command said in a briefing paper presented to senior politicians that morale of servicemen was low and their combat spirit endangered by being overworked. He further said that the airmen’s sense that the public appreciated their efforts had been undermined by defense cuts. In his concluding remarks, Bryant said that the RAF’s ability to tackle unforeseen emergencies could be seriously eroded if the campaign in Libya went beyond September.
