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An opinion piece from one of the Guardians defence writers.The standout quotes for me on the amounts involved;I don't think that cost increases are particularly British-only problem, certainly the F-35 saga can't be laid at the door of the MoD, its the nature of modern weapons development. But I think the MoD's defence spending is far more under the spotlight than other nations, ever since they messed up with Swift back in 1955. And its true that the MoD have delivered some clangers since the 1960s. Its easy to point at nations like Russia, Brazil, Turkey etc. and point at their growing arms industries and swanky new kit but the real costs are not as heavily scrutinised in the press.The QE-class is regularly brought up but the other options are no cheaper. An smaller ship for V/STOL would still have needed the expensive F-35B (and would be less capable and effective) and a CTOL carrier would have been just as big except we'd now be moaning about the EMALS catapult problems the same as the USN faced with the Fords and we'd still be buying expensive F-35Cs. No carrier at all, the RAF would still have been buying expensive F-35As and/or Bs for Harrier nostalgia reasons.I do wonder though if Cummings will be the Sandys of our time?https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/17/dominic-cummings-britain-defence-spending-mod
An opinion piece from one of the Guardians defence writers.
The standout quotes for me on the amounts involved;
I don't think that cost increases are particularly British-only problem, certainly the F-35 saga can't be laid at the door of the MoD, its the nature of modern weapons development. But I think the MoD's defence spending is far more under the spotlight than other nations, ever since they messed up with Swift back in 1955. And its true that the MoD have delivered some clangers since the 1960s. Its easy to point at nations like Russia, Brazil, Turkey etc. and point at their growing arms industries and swanky new kit but the real costs are not as heavily scrutinised in the press.
The QE-class is regularly brought up but the other options are no cheaper. An smaller ship for V/STOL would still have needed the expensive F-35B (and would be less capable and effective) and a CTOL carrier would have been just as big except we'd now be moaning about the EMALS catapult problems the same as the USN faced with the Fords and we'd still be buying expensive F-35Cs. No carrier at all, the RAF would still have been buying expensive F-35As and/or Bs for Harrier nostalgia reasons.
I do wonder though if Cummings will be the Sandys of our time?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/17/dominic-cummings-britain-defence-spending-mod
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