Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has raised concerns about Britain’s F-35 warplane program, citing delays, infrastructure shortcomings, and personnel deficits as challenges that undermine the country’s warfare capabilities. The NAO pointed out that despite the superiority of the F-35 stealth jet used by the RAF compared to previous UK aircraft, the return on the £11bn invested so far has been deemed unsatisfactory. Additionally, the NAO estimated that the cost of expanding the fleet would exceed initial Ministry of Defence (MoD) projections by more than three times.
While the Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson assured that the F-35 program remains within its approved budget, the NAO highlighted concerns about the disappointing outcomes of the substantial investment made thus far. The report expressed disappointment in the £11bn spent on the F-35 program, emphasizing that the original estimates from 2013 have been significantly surpassed. The NAO’s estimated cost of £71bn contrasts sharply with the MoD’s initial projection of £18.76bn for the project.
Currently, the Royal Navy operates 37 F-35s deployed from its two aircraft carriers, with the expectation that these advanced aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, will remain in service until 2069. However, challenges remain, such as the F-35 fleet falling short of the Ministry of Defence’s target for full mission capability last year. Furthermore, plans to equip the F-35s with weapons capable of attacking ground targets from a safe distance, while maintaining their stealth attributes, have been delayed until the early 2030s. The NAO report called on the MoD to determine strategic resource allocation to maximize the benefits of the F-35 program for the UK
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.