The Guardian view on the defence budget: be realistic | Editorial

The military has suffered from austerity and the world is a dangerous place, but that doesn't mean the case for higher defence spending needs no interrogation

It is easier to assert that Britain needs a modern military capability than it is to say what that means. The existence of dangers - from terrorism and cyberwarfare to nuclear proliferation and a pattern of Russian provocations - is beyond question. But to identify a threat is not the same as knowing how to handle it and, since the imagination can always conjure a worst-case scenario, the shopping list of desirable hardware can be long and very expensive.

But resources are finite; compromise is inevitable. Military chiefs always want bigger budgets, and ministers, keen to show voters that they take no chances with national security, are reluctant to contradict the khaki lobby. Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, has gone a step further, noisily demanding cash from the prime minister and the chancellor.

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