From today’s Telegraph:
DEAR SIR – Your readers should understand the full story behind the decision to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 project.
The original plan was for 21 aircraft to be delivered in 2003 at a cost of £2.8 billion. By the time we undertook the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, the project had cost £3.6 billion, and had been reduced to nine aircraft, only one had been built and was not airworthy.
Cancelling MRA4 will save £2 billion over 10 years, and tough decisions like these had to be taken by ministers and Service chiefs to address the mess left by Labour, including the £38 billion black hole in the defence budget.
In March 2010, the Labour government withdrew Nimrod MR2 from service early because it was judged to be unaffordable. The gap in capability therefore existed before the new Government took office.
The impact of this is being mitigated by using Type 23 frigates, Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters and Hercules C-30 aircraft, and by working with our allies. This decision does not affect operations in Afghanistan and we continue to cover long-range search and rescue around the United Kingdom with other aircraft.
Dr Liam Fox MP (Con)
Defence Secretary
London SW1
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