AS a serving officer in our reserve forces, I was rather taken aback by the comments last week by the former US defence secretary Robert Gates, who said that we could no longer be considered a full military partner with the US because of the reductions in our own defence capability, consequent upon expenditure cuts which are part of the Government’s deficit reduction strategy.

In particular, he pointed to the Royal Navy’s lack of an aircraft carrier. Did he not know that we have two currently under construction?

I have a more fundamental difference of outlook, however. I believe the implementation of a long-term economic plan is more vital for the defence of our national interests than the short-term acquisition or ownership of military hardware.

A nation that spends more than it earns year in, year out, is heading for economic disaster.

This was the case in 2010 when this government came into office: the public finances were so bad that the previous government had been borrowing £1 in every £3 that it spent.

Had we continued we wouldn’t have been able to afford any defence capability at all.

It was imperative that we first address the fundamentals of economic reality.

Despite the dire warnings that our plan to bring Britain back from the brink would cause mass unemployment, a worse deficit, a double or even a triple dip recession, the longterm economic plan is working: it is working because we took those tough decisions to cut the deficit that we now have the fastest economic growth in the developed world, unemployment has fallen month-on-month with 1.6 million new private sector jobs since the election, we now have the lowest number of workless households in 17 years and more people in work than ever in our history.

It is only because the deficit is reduced and we have a secure long-term economic plan we can now afford to sustain the fourth largest defence budget in the world and invest £160bn in equipment over the decade. We will also be renewing our nuclear deterrent, completing the new aircraft carriers, acquiring new aircraft, building frigates and submarines and buying the latest armoured vehicles.

We are also dealing with many defence issues that needed addressing – like calling an end to the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, now the Soviet invasion threat has expired.

I can say that in my 36 years of experience, I have never seen our forces better trained and equipped. After their service in Afghanistan, they deserve nothing less.