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UK MoD Details $2.4B in Cuts
By andrew chuter, LONDON
Published: 15 Dec 2009 15:38
Fast jets, surveillance aircraft, naval vessels, and an air base are among the casualties of the U.K. Ministry of Defence's new effort to make room for purchases of equipment for Afghanistan and balance its budget in 2010 and beyond. The cuts are expected to save the MoD around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.4 billion), although no official figures have been released.
The Royal Air Force will lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. (ROYAL AIR FORCE)
The government has sought to deflect criticism of the cuts by rolling out a series of planned purchases, primarily to arm the 9,500 troops fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Among the largest will be 24 new Boeing Chinook twin-rotor helicopters, a decision that comes after years of criticism about the lack of rotorcraft in theater.
The first new aircraft won't be available for Afghanistan duties until at least 2013, but the first of eight Chinooks grounded for years by airworthiness issues will arrive sooner.
Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth told Parliament that the MoD is spending more than 900 million pounds in the next three years to improve support for Afghanistan operations. To make that affordable and to match expenditure to resources there would have to be reductions elsewhere, he said.
Urgent operational requirements for Afghanistan up to an agreed limit are normally paid for from Treasury reserves. The 900 million pounds, however, though is coming from the hard-pressed core defense budget. Ainsworth defended the move, saying the equipment being purchased had utility beyond Afghanistan.
Liam Fox, the Conservative Party shadow defence secretary, welcomed the Chinook order but criticized the government for taking so long to fix the shortfall in helicopter resources. He said it couldn't "mask the severity of the cuts being made elsewhere."
The government "has raided 900 million pounds from the core defence budget to fund current operations when it is the Treasury reserve which should be paying," Fox said. "The core defence budget is having to bear the cost of today's operations, seriously damaging our ability to engage in more conventional operations in the future. The Government is mortgaging our current security to pay for the shortfall in current operations."
Ainsworth revealed the government was also providing a further 280 million pounds from Treasury reserves to pay for urgent operational requirements in Afghanistan in the next 12 months. The main use will be boosting protected mobility vehicles like the Husky and Jackal.
That's on top of 736 million pounds in UOR funds already spent this year, an MoD spokeswoman said.
In a statement, Ainsworth said, "These decisions had not been taken lightly, but these are tough times for everyone in defense and we must ensure we prioritize spending on operations to achieve success in Afghanistan."
The Royal Air Force is the big loser, although the air service will also receive much of the new big-ticket equipment items as well. On the debit side, the RAF will:
■ Lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. The Harrier base at Cottesmore will close starting as early as March next year. The remainder of the joint RAF/Royal Navy GR9 force will be based at RAF Wittering.
■ Lose a further one or two squadrons of Harrier or Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, or maybe one of each, will be cut with a decision taken on the make up of the fast jet force taken in the 2010 defense review expected after the general election due by mid-next year.
■ Stand down the Nimrod MR2 maritime surveillance aircraft fleet early year. The first replacement Nimrod MRA4 will not enter service until 2012, leaving a hole in Britain's long-range surveillance capability. Ainsworth said C-130 Hercules and Merlin helicopters would fill the gap. BAE Systems is scheduled to hand over the first of nine MRA4s next February, three more later in the year, and the balance by 2012.
On the credit side, the RAF will receive:
■ Twenty-four new Chinook helicopters, bringing the fleet of heavy-lift machines to 70 by 2016.
■ Five Reaper UAVs, which will double the size of the fleet.
■ A seventh C-17 airlifter to boost the airbridge between Britain and Afghanistan.
■ Approval to buy the Typhoon fighter's future capability program phase two, which will add Brimstone and other weapons to its arsenal.
■ Better C-130J defensive aids and maintenance support packages.
The 900 million pounds will also fund anti-IED capabilities, a better dismounted close combat equipment package, more Bowman tactical radios and patrol satellite systems and an additional 80 million pounds aimed at special forces communications.
Other Hits
The defence secretary said that other areas of the MoD would be taking a hit to pay for the uplift. For example, some Army training not required for current operations will be cancelled, such as for the Challenger 2 main battle tank training as an example.
Other cuts will mean:
■ Early retirement for a Royal Navy minehunter and a survey ship.
■ Early retirement of some older Lynx and Merlin Mk1 helicopters in the transition to the new Wildcat and Merlin Mk2.
■ Cancellation of an unprotected utility vehicle competition; the program will be deferred for two years.
■ Service and civilian personnel numbers will be cut.
Alex Ashbourne, a director at Ashbourne Strategic Consulting, said the MoD cuts might preempt decisions that should be left to the defense review.
Ainsworth began his statement by saying that there would be no major decisions or changes until after the defence review. But the scope, breadth and depth of the cuts announced today will permanently affect the size, shape and capability of the UK armed forces. She said this preempts the review, which ideally needs to be policy-led, rather than equipment-led..
Other cuts are likely because the defense budget is expected to be hit to help rescue government finances. One analyst said army heavy artillery and main battle forces could eventually take a hit.
Earlier today, the National Audit Office, a government watchdog, said the MoD could have a 36 billion pound black hole in its budgets over the next 10 years unless defense spending was increased and programs cut back. Concern is also growing here among analysts and others that the cash being poured into programs to support the counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan will leave the British forces ill equipped to conduct other types of warfare in the future.
UK MoD Details $2.4B in Cuts - Defense News
By andrew chuter, LONDON
Published: 15 Dec 2009 15:38
Fast jets, surveillance aircraft, naval vessels, and an air base are among the casualties of the U.K. Ministry of Defence's new effort to make room for purchases of equipment for Afghanistan and balance its budget in 2010 and beyond. The cuts are expected to save the MoD around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.4 billion), although no official figures have been released.
The Royal Air Force will lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. (ROYAL AIR FORCE)
The government has sought to deflect criticism of the cuts by rolling out a series of planned purchases, primarily to arm the 9,500 troops fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Among the largest will be 24 new Boeing Chinook twin-rotor helicopters, a decision that comes after years of criticism about the lack of rotorcraft in theater.
The first new aircraft won't be available for Afghanistan duties until at least 2013, but the first of eight Chinooks grounded for years by airworthiness issues will arrive sooner.
Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth told Parliament that the MoD is spending more than 900 million pounds in the next three years to improve support for Afghanistan operations. To make that affordable and to match expenditure to resources there would have to be reductions elsewhere, he said.
Urgent operational requirements for Afghanistan up to an agreed limit are normally paid for from Treasury reserves. The 900 million pounds, however, though is coming from the hard-pressed core defense budget. Ainsworth defended the move, saying the equipment being purchased had utility beyond Afghanistan.
Liam Fox, the Conservative Party shadow defence secretary, welcomed the Chinook order but criticized the government for taking so long to fix the shortfall in helicopter resources. He said it couldn't "mask the severity of the cuts being made elsewhere."
The government "has raided 900 million pounds from the core defence budget to fund current operations when it is the Treasury reserve which should be paying," Fox said. "The core defence budget is having to bear the cost of today's operations, seriously damaging our ability to engage in more conventional operations in the future. The Government is mortgaging our current security to pay for the shortfall in current operations."
Ainsworth revealed the government was also providing a further 280 million pounds from Treasury reserves to pay for urgent operational requirements in Afghanistan in the next 12 months. The main use will be boosting protected mobility vehicles like the Husky and Jackal.
That's on top of 736 million pounds in UOR funds already spent this year, an MoD spokeswoman said.
In a statement, Ainsworth said, "These decisions had not been taken lightly, but these are tough times for everyone in defense and we must ensure we prioritize spending on operations to achieve success in Afghanistan."
The Royal Air Force is the big loser, although the air service will also receive much of the new big-ticket equipment items as well. On the debit side, the RAF will:
■ Lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. The Harrier base at Cottesmore will close starting as early as March next year. The remainder of the joint RAF/Royal Navy GR9 force will be based at RAF Wittering.
■ Lose a further one or two squadrons of Harrier or Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, or maybe one of each, will be cut with a decision taken on the make up of the fast jet force taken in the 2010 defense review expected after the general election due by mid-next year.
■ Stand down the Nimrod MR2 maritime surveillance aircraft fleet early year. The first replacement Nimrod MRA4 will not enter service until 2012, leaving a hole in Britain's long-range surveillance capability. Ainsworth said C-130 Hercules and Merlin helicopters would fill the gap. BAE Systems is scheduled to hand over the first of nine MRA4s next February, three more later in the year, and the balance by 2012.
On the credit side, the RAF will receive:
■ Twenty-four new Chinook helicopters, bringing the fleet of heavy-lift machines to 70 by 2016.
■ Five Reaper UAVs, which will double the size of the fleet.
■ A seventh C-17 airlifter to boost the airbridge between Britain and Afghanistan.
■ Approval to buy the Typhoon fighter's future capability program phase two, which will add Brimstone and other weapons to its arsenal.
■ Better C-130J defensive aids and maintenance support packages.
The 900 million pounds will also fund anti-IED capabilities, a better dismounted close combat equipment package, more Bowman tactical radios and patrol satellite systems and an additional 80 million pounds aimed at special forces communications.
Other Hits
The defence secretary said that other areas of the MoD would be taking a hit to pay for the uplift. For example, some Army training not required for current operations will be cancelled, such as for the Challenger 2 main battle tank training as an example.
Other cuts will mean:
■ Early retirement for a Royal Navy minehunter and a survey ship.
■ Early retirement of some older Lynx and Merlin Mk1 helicopters in the transition to the new Wildcat and Merlin Mk2.
■ Cancellation of an unprotected utility vehicle competition; the program will be deferred for two years.
■ Service and civilian personnel numbers will be cut.
Alex Ashbourne, a director at Ashbourne Strategic Consulting, said the MoD cuts might preempt decisions that should be left to the defense review.
Ainsworth began his statement by saying that there would be no major decisions or changes until after the defence review. But the scope, breadth and depth of the cuts announced today will permanently affect the size, shape and capability of the UK armed forces. She said this preempts the review, which ideally needs to be policy-led, rather than equipment-led..
Other cuts are likely because the defense budget is expected to be hit to help rescue government finances. One analyst said army heavy artillery and main battle forces could eventually take a hit.
Earlier today, the National Audit Office, a government watchdog, said the MoD could have a 36 billion pound black hole in its budgets over the next 10 years unless defense spending was increased and programs cut back. Concern is also growing here among analysts and others that the cash being poured into programs to support the counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan will leave the British forces ill equipped to conduct other types of warfare in the future.
UK MoD Details $2.4B in Cuts - Defense News
