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 15 May 2008 22:10 BST

MoD urged to consider abandoning Nimrod MRA4 programme

Thursday, 27 Mar 2008 07:14
Defence committee suggests Nimrod MRA4 aircraft programme should be abandoned
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) should consider abandoning the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft programme, an influential committee of MPs said on Thursday.

A report from the Commons defence committee suggests the MoD should "cut its losses" in the face of fresh budget and delivery concerns.

The maritime patrol aircraft, designed to replace the Nimrod MR2 at RAF Kinloss, is seven and a half years behind schedule and incurred £100 million worth of unforeseen costs in 2007-08.

Committee members, publishing their report into the MoD's equipment programmes, also criticise delays to the Joint Strike Fighter programme which will see two new aircraft carriers operating without air support when they enter service in six years.

James Arbuthnot, the defence committee's chairman, said it was "inexplicable" the MoD was reducing staff numbers supporting current operations from 27,500 to 20,000 by 2012 when the current number of workers cannot complete the necessary training.

He accused the MoD of presiding over an "unaffordable equipment programme" and warned against the "usual response of salami-slicing and moving programmes to the right".

"A realistic equipment programme will give confidence to our armed forces that the programmes that remain will be delivered in the numbers and to the timescale required, and will also allow industry to make informed investment decisions," Mr Arbuthnot continued.

On specific programmes he added: "It is disappointing that the first of the navy's two new aircraft carriers will not have new aircraft to operate from it when it enters service because of delays on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft programme.

"The Nimrod MRA4 aircraft programme goes from bad to worse - almost £800 million over budget and forecast to be nearly eight years late. The MoD must carefully examine whether it should cut its losses and withdraw from this sorry saga."

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said today's report presented a "damning picture" of the government's defence equipment programme.

"The armed forces are now in the worst of all worlds with equipment being delivered years later than originally planned and costs spiralling," he said, adding that the MoD was "rudderless".

Angus Robertson, the leader of the Scottish National party at Westminster, whose constituency is the home base of the Nimrod fleet at RAF Kinloss, commented: "If the MRA4 is no longer the appropriate platform then which should it be, how long will it take to introduce and at what cost?

"The safety of the Nimrod crew must come first. I am concerned that if the MRA4 program is cancelled, then the current ageing aircraft would need to keep on working for an extended period despite concerns about their safety. That would not be acceptable."

But Baroness Taylor, minister for defence equipment and support, said the complexity of the MoD's equipment programmes "must not be underestimated".

"We note the committee's observations and constructive criticism regarding other aspects of the equipment procurement process and these will be carefully considered as part of the department's full response to the report," she added.End of story

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