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Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=10534		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Sun Sep 12, 2010 1:16 am ]
Post subject:  Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11274060

Quote:
Contracts worth about £1.25bn have been awarded for building two aircraft carriers even though the project may not go ahead, figures have revealed.

The figures came in answer to a parliamentary question by a Labour MP.

It emerged on Wednesday that the £5bn project to build HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales on the Clyde, at Rosyth in Fife, in Appledore, Devon, and Portsmouth could be under threat.

The Ministry of Defence is under pressure to cut its budget by a fifth.

The figures - which were obtained by Thomas Docherty, Labour MP for Dunfermline and West Fife - show that more than 100 contracts have already been awarded to companies across the UK.

Mr Docherty, who represents the Rosyth dockyard, said: "These figures highlight that the carrier contracts don't just affect thousands of jobs here in Rosyth and on the Clyde or indeed just across Scotland, but in fact across the whole of the United Kingdom.

"To rip up these contracts worth millions at this stage would not only be financial madness, but political suicide and I hope the coalition government sees sense."
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
One of the biggest cost in the building of the aircraft carriers was the ludicrous and totally political decision to have it built in so many places. Mainly to try and keep Scottish constituencies as Labour ones.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
bobbdobbs wrote:
One of the biggest cost in the building of the aircraft carriers was the ludicrous and totally political decision to have it built in so many places. Mainly to try and keep Scottish constituencies as Labour ones.

It has happened for decades. Parties supporting the defence industry because of the jobs in their constituencies. Look at all the US deals that have local content to appease US politicians. I think that the replacement for Marine one the helicopter for the president is now approaching $1 billion per chopper because of the local build requirements. They are using Augusta's which are around $20 million new but strip out everything and put in american components everywhere and the price rockets. Also there are no major shipbuilding facilities in a southern town. Vospers might be considered by they are minute compared to the big northern ship yards.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
So they've spent all that money designing them and they've already placed £1billion worth of orders for them. We might as we have them. If any expensive project should go, it should be teh next trident, purely because we haven't wasted any money on design/orders yet. They could also delay the design and purchase of the Type 26 frigates, they type 23's will last a while yet.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
l3v1ck wrote:
So they've spent all that money designing them and they've already placed £1billion worth of orders for them. We might as we have them. If any expensive project should go, it should be teh next trident, purely because we haven't wasted any money on design/orders yet. They could also delay the design and purchase of the Type 26 frigates, they type 23's will last a while yet.

Yes scrapping Trident might be a much better option. Delaying the Type 26 could be an option as well. Scrapping the carriers is very very shortsighted. Just ask John Nott about navy cuts.
Author:  Spreadie [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
Amnesia10 wrote:
l3v1ck wrote:
So they've spent all that money designing them and they've already placed £1billion worth of orders for them. We might as we have them. If any expensive project should go, it should be teh next trident, purely because we haven't wasted any money on design/orders yet. They could also delay the design and purchase of the Type 26 frigates, they type 23's will last a while yet.

Yes scrapping Trident might be a much better option. Delaying the Type 26 could be an option as well. Scrapping the carriers is very very shortsighted. Just ask John Nott about navy cuts.

Scrapping Trident is logical, but will delaying the frigates be worthwhile? What I mean is, will they look to spend money on refitting/updating the Type 23s to extend their service life?

I'd rather we kept the carriers, especially after shelling out a quarter of the cost already.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
Spreadie wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
l3v1ck wrote:
So they've spent all that money designing them and they've already placed £1billion worth of orders for them. We might as we have them. If any expensive project should go, it should be teh next trident, purely because we haven't wasted any money on design/orders yet. They could also delay the design and purchase of the Type 26 frigates, they type 23's will last a while yet.

Yes scrapping Trident might be a much better option. Delaying the Type 26 could be an option as well. Scrapping the carriers is very very shortsighted. Just ask John Nott about navy cuts.

Scrapping Trident is logical, but will delaying the frigates be worthwhile? What I mean is, will they look to spend money on refitting/updating the Type 23s to extend their service life?

I'd rather we kept the carriers, especially after shelling out a quarter of the cost already.

I agree on all of that. The delay of the frigates should only be done if it saves money. That would be the purpose. If you end up doing a refit that could cosy more. Though it could also be less if it brought them up to Type 26 standards.
Author:  rustybucket [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Figures reveal cost of new aircraft carriers decision
If they really want to save a bit of money, how about the make it CATOBAR and buy the F-35C saving £25m per aircraft?

Given that a B-variant has a lower range and payload than a Super-Hornet, it seems (to me at least) that the C-variant exists to fulfill a role that doesn't really exist anymore.
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