Latest UK Defence Select Committee report

[Aircav]

 Defence Select Committee report, published here

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdfence/295/295.pdf

grim reading

[Howard of Effingham]

as you say aircav, grim. particularly i think for the nimrod MRA4 program.

is there anything good about this report? its certainly thorough.

hmm, i'll shut up now as this thread is borderline political.

trevor

[Aircav]

Makes for some interesting Wif subjects on future cancelled projects

[Hobbes]

Things like this quote (about the carrier program) are just painful.

We asked what the commercial issues were. CDM told us that he did not know and "could not answer it". We were surprised to hear that he did not know given that this was such a key programme. We asked if it suited CDM not to let the contract now. He said "no, it is not me". We asked if it suited the MoD not to let the contract now. He said "no". We asked what the impasse was about. CDM told us that "we do not know".

[SimonR]

The whole thing is the usual catalog of waste and incompetence but it's the MRA.4 that stands out as epic fail. 700 million quid over budget and 92 (!) months late. Nice work boys! The end is nigh now, surely...

[P1127]

Nothing will happen - the Govt only listens to Select Commitees when it suits them. At the end of the day, they are just a chance for backbench MPS to think they are doing something.

[NARSES2]

Which is a real shame as a lot of the Select Committees do some good work.

Had to appear before one once, a bit frightening I must say, and I was on the side of the "Good Guys" 

Chris

[Radish]

Bloody HELL, Chris, that means you could have appeared LIVe on TV, the Parliamentary Channel!!

Meanwhile, noted in a mag that the US are paying slightly more (but only SLIGHTLY) for 700 H-60 derivatives for what HM Gov't are paying for 70 Lynx variants.
700 versus 70= UK taxpayers funding enormous salaries for someone!!

[B777LR]

Yes, but a larger production run brings the unit cost down.

And the H-60 has already passed break-even point ages ago. The Future lynx needs development, first flight, even more development before entry into service, and even then it cant be assured that Westland will sell more.