RAF transport fleet lack missile defence
Wed, December 04, 2002
Source: Ananova
Fewer than half the RAF's new £2.3 billion fleet of transport aircraft are to be fitted with electronic equipment to protect them from missile attack.
Half of RAF transport fleet lack missile defence
Fewer than half the RAF's new £2.3 billion fleet of transport aircraft are to be fitted with electronic equipment to protect them from missile attack.
The Ministry of Defence has decided to acquire defensive aids suites for just nine of the 25 Airbus A400Ms it is purchasing. The decision will save the MoD £319 million, the National Audit Office reveals. In its annual report on major military procurement projects, the NAO says it is an example of the MoD deciding to "trade-off capability for cost". The report also discloses the number of new Nimrod MRA4 maritime reconnaissance aircraft - which enter service in 2005 - has been cut from 21 to 18. However the high termination costs - £70 million - mean the total savings to the MoD will be just £9 million.
The MoD says the decision to acquire defensive aids suites (DAS) for only nine of the A400Ms reflects the fact that not all the aircraft will expect to be exposed to dangerous missions. All the aircraft were capable of being fitted with DAS and more could be acquired at a later date if it was considered necessary, a MoD spokeswoman says.
Overall the report, which looks at 30 of the MoD's biggest procurement projects - worth £45 billion - concludes there is a "continuing improvement" in performance, particularly in controlling costs although delays remained a "problem".
Of the 20 projects that had passed the initial assessment stage, 14 had slipped in terms of time or cost over the past year. Half of those affected had been acquired under the MoD's new "smart procurement" system.
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