Commenting on the publication of the Commons public accounts committee’s report into the Ministry of Defence’s procurement of the Type 45 destroyer for the Royal Navy, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, a member of the committee, said:

“The Type 45 destroyer, which enters service this year, is supposed to be one of the most high-tech warships afloat.” 

“However, the Type 45 is two years late, £1.5 billion over budget and will sail without its main weapons system installed.”

“The Type 45 is supposed to defend other ships against air attack but its new anti-aircraft missiles won’t be fitted until 2011 and no Type 45 will have test-fired one of these missiles until then.  That means we have new anti-aircraft destroyers putting to sea that can’t shoot anything down.  Taxpayers may wonder why they are being asked to spend money on a toothless warship.” 

“The Type 45 is the latest in a long line of major defence projects where the MoD’s inability to face reality when it comes to time and money has caused serious delays and cost taxpayers billions of pounds.  The MoD need to get this sorted out now, before even bigger shipbuilding projects come to grief.”

Mr Bacon was speaking as the Commons public accounts committee published its report into the Ministry of Defence’s procurement of the Type 45 destroyer for the Royal Navy.  The Type 45 destroyer is intended to form the backbone of the Royal Navy’s air defence capability for the next 30 years.  However, the report finds that there have been a number of problems on the project and it will enter service over two years late and £1.5 billion over its original budget.

Many of the capabilities which enhance the Type 45’s ability to conduct anti-air warfare operations will not be installed when it enters service in 2009.  The Type 45’s main anti-aircraft weapon, the Principle Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) has not yet been test-fired from any Type 45 ship and will not be fully operational until 2011.

23 June 2009

See also::
PAC REPORT: Type 45 Destroyer
PARLIAMENT: ‘Delusional’ MoD getting worse on big projects
PARLIAMENT: Largest defence projects hit by 40 years of delays
PARLIAMENT: MoD budget ‘camouflage’ won’t keep costs down

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