Delivering Security In A Changing World

The Defence White Paper (Cm 6041-I,II, ISBN 0101604122) published in December 2003 discussed the implications of international security issues (such as the threat of international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction) for strategic defence priorities, and detailed a revised set of 18 military tasks to underpin future policy planning for the UKs armed forces. Following on from this document, this White Paper sets out the Governments five-year plan for force structure and organisational changes to deliver the revised capability requirements, with an emphasis on using technology to secure maximum military effect from the forces available. This is in order to continue the process of modernisation to provide flexible and adaptable armed forces and to achieve efficiency savings of £2.8 billion by 2007-08, as identified in the Governments 2004 Spending Review. Measures include phased reductions of 1,500 in navy and 7,500 in air force manpower, with an expected army manpower level of 102,000 by 2008; with investment in several major technology systems to support the Network Enabled Capability (NEC) programme.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.

Following on from the Government's defence White Paper ('Delivering Security in a Changing World', Cm 6041-I, ISBN 0101604122, published in December 2003), it published its five-year plan for the restructuring of the UK's armed forces ('Delivering security in a changing world: future capabilities', Cm 6269, ISBN 0101626924) in July 2004, in order to implement the revised capability requirements identified in terms of force structure, equipment and personnel. The emphasis was placed on using technology to secure maximum military effect, in light of the changed security environment after the September 11th terrorist attacks. The Committee's report examines these proposals and the practical decisions arising from the policy analysis, and topics discussed include: revised scales of effort and concurrency assumptions; the financial context; implications of key proposals for the army, navy and air force; network enabled capability (NEC), support and logistics; operations undertaken with US and European allies, and the roles of NATO and the UN. The Committee's findings include that the proposals are based on a narrow vision of future operational requirements, and it will take another decade before the capabilities are in place to deliver those requirements. In the meantime, the equipment withdrawls and personnel reductions being implemented to deliver those requirements risk gaps in capability arising which may lead to unnecessary security risks.

The official report that has shaped the international debate about NSA surveillance "We cannot discount the risk, in light of the lessons of our own history, that at some point in the future, high-level government officials will decide that this massive database of extraordinarily sensitive private information is there for the plucking. Americans must never make the mistake of wholly 'trusting' our public officials."—The NSA Report This is the official report that is helping shape the international debate about the unprecedented surveillance activities of the National Security Agency. Commissioned by President Obama following disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden, and written by a preeminent group of intelligence and legal experts, the report examines the extent of NSA programs and calls for dozens of urgent and practical reforms. The result is a blueprint showing how the government can reaffirm its commitment to privacy and civil liberties—without compromising national security.

All chapters in this new edition are updated and a wide range of new topics are discussed, including the Syrian civil war, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its intervention in East Ukraine, the global refugee crisis, China’s military buildup, the impact of fracking on oil and gas markets, and rapidly evolving cyberwar capabilities.

White paper dated July 2004.