Britain's military is small but good and as an island nation this strategy makes sense:
The thinking underpinning British maritime strategy is articulated in the current fifth edition of British maritime doctrine, UK Maritime Power. UK Maritime Power describes maritime power as an ‘inherently broad concept’, encompassing ‘economic, political, military and influence elements – realised through the ability of a state to use the sea’. In military terms, this is defined as ‘the ability to apply maritime military capabilities at and from the sea to influence the behaviour of actors and the course of events’. UK Maritime Power articulates ‘the enduring utility of maritime power’, in the following terms: ‘Maritime forces provide a national global presence through three classical roles – war fighting, maritime security…and Defence Engagement. The unique attributes of the maritime environment allow maritime forces to provide a persistent and versatile military capability, free of the liability of extensive host-nation support’.
The British of course need diplomacy to have allies on a continent to support with a small but proficient military. And the diplomacy will need to be good because the British ability to finance continental allies is no longer possible.
Remember that Britain has long wanted to prevent Europe from being controlled by a hostile power. Which should mean that Britain works actively against the European Union proto-imperial project becoming a full empire. Britain should want the EU to return to an economic free trade area without the political infrastructure.
Or Britain could work alongside America, as Britain long has done, in regions where Britain has national interests. In regard to Europe. America has long--but not as long as Britain--had the same objective of preventing a single hostile power from taking control of Europe. And given how the EU has treated Britain since it voted for Brexit, can you doubt European hostility toward Britain?
Britain is spreading its fleet and diplomacy thin globally, with a hammer of a powerful naval task force to support a small ground and air expeditionary force.
So this makes sense for Britain, it seems to me.
Although with the Russians acting all Russia-like, I admit that I'll miss the (second) British Army of the Rhine pushed east to the Vistula River.
