Morning:
13°c
Defence cuts 'to leave aircraft carriers without any planes'
Robert Fox23.06.09
Defence chiefs are braced for a cut in their budgets of about 25 per cent over the next year.
If the cuts are implemented the first of the Navy's new aircraft carriers is like to put to sea in six years time with no aircraft to go on it, and none likely for at least another eight years.
Also HMS Daring, the first of a class of super destroyers already £1.5 billion over budget, is likely to join the fleet next year, a parliamentary committee reveals today, without its main missiles being fired even in a test. It is unlikely to have an effective missile system for another three years.
The RAF has cut back its final order for the £23billion Typhoon Eurofighter programme but it is still ordering twice as many fast jets as it has trained pilots.
The Army has been asked to consider cutting at least three fighting infantry battalions - some 5,000 soldiers - just as the recession is boosting recruiting.
The Army commands about 19 per cent of the total defence spend but only 10 per cent of the budget for new equipment. Many units will have been told to soldier on with tracked troop carriers designed in the Sixties and they will probably not get a new battlefield carrier for another 15 years.
The Harrier jump jet force will be taken out of service next year. When the first of the new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is commissioned in six years' time, it was supposed to take the Harriers until the new Lockheed F-35 Lightning II is ready in about 15 years at the earliest. But now there will be no Harriers, and there are fears that the F-35 Lightning is becoming prohibitively expensive.
The crisis has emerged because the defence budget for this year is more than 10 per cent overspent. Gordon Brown has said this has to be cut now and so has refused American requests for British reinforcements for Afghanistan.
Most parties at Westminster agree there will have to be a cut in the defence budget currently set at about £36 billion. Tory frontbencher Andrew Lansley has proposed a cut of 10 per cent in all ministries except health and overseas aid.
In its report the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee adds that the programme for the new Daring class Type 45 air defence destroyer, each the size of a small cruiser and costing £650 million or more, has been a victim of "persistent over-optimism and underestimation of the technical challenge".
Other prominent programmes face delays and cost over-runs including the new Nimrod MRA4 surveillance plane, the Astute submarine, and the multinational European transport plane the Airbus A400M, which has still not made a flight despite spending running into billions.
Reader views (14)
The Defence Committee - Third Report "Defence Equipment 2009" sites an article from the Financial Times website stating that the Chief of Defence Materiel — General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue had instructed staff within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) through an internal memorandum to reprioritize the approvals process to focus on supporting current operations over the next three years; deterrence related programmes; those that reflect defence obligations both contractual or international; and those where production contracts are already signed. The report also sites concerns over potential cuts in the defence science and technology research budget; implications of inappropriate estimation of Defence Inflation within budgetary processes; underfunding in the Equipment Programme; and a general concern over striking the appropriate balance over a short-term focus (Current Operations) and long-term consequences of failure to invest in the delivery of future UK defence capabilities on future combatants and campaigns. Secretary of State for Defence — The Rt Hon. Bob Ainsworth, MP reinforced this reprioritization of focus on current operations and has not ruled out "major shifts" in defence spending. In the same article the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff — Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, Royal Navy, acknowledged that there was not enough money within the defence budget and it is preparing itself for tough decisions and the potential for cutbacks.
- Jodie, london
Why doesn't the Government concentrate on the War it is already involved in Afghanistan. Give the troops on the ground the tools now, to get the job done, so they can all come home. The UK Soldier/Marine is the most tenatious in the world, but one of the most poorly equipped. I know, I used to be one. Personally, I'd put all the dishonest MP's against a wall and use them for target practice. That would save a few quid.
- Dave Parkes, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK
The US marines will start taking delivery of their F-35s in 2012, so why the RAF will have to wait until 2025 is a puzzle to me. No, the RAF will will be flying the F-35 off the new carriers circa 2018.
- Marcus, Perth, Australia
This is typical of the general European attitude towards defence matters in general. Nearly all Europeans have convinced themselves that peace has broken out everywhere forever and armed forces are an unnecessary evil. It is a comforting belief and you can indulge in it as long the Americans (those warmongering, cowboy brained neanderthals) are there to protect you (and get abused and insulted while they do it). Beware, they may be around the next time you are in trouble! You will do well to remember the words of your great statesman Winston Churchill, "Wars begin very quickly". Threats and dangers can materialise faster than than you can expect. You and the French learned that lesson the hard way in 1939/40. We Indians learned it the same way in 1962. We have not forgotten, but you have. You are living in a fools' paradise and will be reminded of this fact one day. I hope you will wake up in time and not after someone has kicked you in the guts. Weakness invites aggression and aggression always accepts the invitation. Come down to earth and realise that the world is a hard, dirty and brutal place-and has always been so. See the world as it really is and not as you would like it to be. I have relatives in 4 European countries. So, I have something of a personal stake in your well-being
- A.M. Clifton, Trichy, India
Well I suppose they can get the crew to run around the deck with their arms outstretched pretending they are planes, then ask the soldiers to pretend they have invisible guns and produce wonderful sound effects....it worked very well when I was child and I suppose our wonderful government realise that so many adults especially those who have signed up to defend us feel that they should feel even more under-funded. I would rather my taxes be used to support the very people I would like to have defending me if the worst happened than it going to support relief in some country that couldn't give a damn. It's time for a change and it's time the current government accepted that they've helped to destroy this country with their left-wing ideology and handed back the reins, but who should they go too? We can't defend ourselves against yobs as they have too many rights, we can't defend ourselves against attack as the government can't be bothered to protect us...thanks Labour, nice to see where your priorities lie.
- Alan, East London
Carriers with no planes only a labour govenment would think of that, overseas aid stays the same hmm, India recieves 800 million from us and has a space program and is expanding its forces while we cut back. absolutely nuts all parties are just as short sighted
- Rob, Rock Ferry Wirral
This will be an invitation to invade to the Russians! Or Americans. Or French. Or Burkina Faso, who probably has a bigger navy than us these days!!
- Andy, London
Well the money for MP's expenses, public sector pay offs, headteachers on £200,000 had to come from somewhere.
- Very Very Very Angry Of The Home Counties, Home Counties
So the Government who have committed troops overseas more times than any since the Empire disbanded want to cut the defence budget by 25%. Does this mean Brown will wave the white flag and pull out of Afghanistan? You can not ask men to fight and then refuse to pay. The Army have already complained that they are overstretched and even with the Iraq withdrawal rest periods are very short.
- Mark, London
Scrap Trident 2 and The Olympics and you have £40bn to play with already. That should buy about 2 and a half Eurofighters to go on the shiny new aircraft carrier. Get civil servants to pay for their own pensions and you could have the other 47 and a half planes every year for the next 50 years.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
Did Gorden say no cuts???????
- C Cusano, Bedford
You could not make it up. BILLIONS of taxpayer's cash spent on super-sonic ships - then some chinless wonder in the Labour government comes up with the bright idea that the defence ships can go to sea without any aircraft to defend the UK.
The ONLY thing Gormless Brown could possibly do right would be to RESIGN forthwith.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
Scrapping the harrier force effectivley destroys Britain status as a Blue water navy. If they are getting rid of the Harriers, what is the purpose of building carriers. You can bet they will also get cancelled. Too busy giving aid to overseas, bailing out banks and paying for bushes around helipads for greedy mps
- Alan, Liverpool
That's very useful, an aircraft carrier with no planes! It will be a sitting duck.
- Paul, London
