Some people have been asking what Scotland’s military forces would look like if next year’s referendum should come out in favour of independence. Would the old historic names come back? I would say; why not? But that’s not the important thing. The important thing is that the battalions of the Scottish Defence Force, let’s call it, are well funded and well trained. They could even be well-paid. Scotland will never win a war on its own – but then again neither will the British. The British Military has become an auxiliary force to the United States – much like the German spearmen and North African horsemen who served alongside the Romans. At least a Scottish Defence Force might have chance of defending Scotland to some extent. No-one in their right mind believes the tiny Canadian military can defend their country without American help. So, what Scotland needs is a defence force which can be easily integrated into larger force – be it American, NATO or even with our former United Kingdom partners. I would suggest looking to the Republic of Ireland or New Zealand when it comes to a model for the SDF’s land force component. Perhaps Norway for naval capacity and a token air force, possibly heavily integrated into a joint airspace defence pact with neighbours.  It has been suggested that a Scottish Defence Force might have problems recruiting enough men and women to sustain itself. The critics point to the problems the British Army is having at the moment recruiting enough men for the Royal Regiment of Scotland. But perhaps recruitment for the SDF might actually be easier because it would treat its military personnel better than the present-day London-based Ministry of Defence does at the moment. That, sadly,  would not be difficult.