Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers. Image courtesy BAE Systems
Airbus Military A400M the replacement for the aging C130 Hercules to sustain the UK Airlift capability. Photo credit Airbus
method to secure the money.
Even
within government there is some recognition that delaying core funded programmes is unwise – which may be why we have seen a sudden and sharp rise in contract announcements in the run up to the election. When members of the House of
Lords – including some former high ranking officers of great military experience, distinction and public respect, unite in open condemnation of government’s attitude to Britain’s defence capability, we should listen. When we see stories in the popular media about shortcomings in equipment and supply, maybe sometimes, we are inclined to take them with a pinch of salt. However, even though, sadly, sensationalism and exaggeration sells newspapers or makes good television drama, the inadequacies reported are often pretty close to the truth. But when real frontline personnel arrive back from theatre – or industry’s under-sung heroes – volunteers working on Contractors ON Deployed Operations (CONDO) secondment – return home, with real life experiences and hard evidence of kit that doesn’t work, equipment that is simply not fit for purpose – and a wide range of other concerns – that should be the wake up call. Some of the problems are understandable. Equipment which was specified for operations in northern Europe – in cold weather theatres such as Bosnia – is suddenly expected to operate in temperatures
of +40 degrees C and above – and in a dust cloud which will choke anything breathing other than through filtration or a respirator. In fairness, there have been some good examples of UOR upgrades and modifications that have enabled deployed equipment to operate very effectively in this new and challenging environment. Meeting these latter requirements have also demonstrated the agility and resourcefulness of some relatively quite small – but technically world class –small firms, many of them British.
What a pity then that more of the new equipment has not been supplied by British companies, with home grown and world-beating skill and engineering – and which support UK jobs. Why is MoD so persuaded that best means ‘not British or built overseas’ – or is it simply down to price – or an offset deal? Aside from recent speculation about the future of ‘the special relationship’ between Britain and the US, if our government dared to hint that it might introduce protectionist tariffs – even resembling those currently emerging in the US, it would quickly find itself in trouble with European rules – and rightly so. Elsewhere in the supply chain, there
In the words of the school report, the SDR must open with the phrase “Promising, could do much better”
G4 DEFENCE
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