Armed forces' equipment neglect 'a real danger'
Thursday, 21 Feb 2008 10:00
SBAC is worried today's meeting will delay defence projects
Britain's armed forces could be left without vital equipment in the future, an aerospace lobby group has warned.
The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) is concerned a meeting of the government's defence management board later today will see "delays and possible cuts to major defence projects".
Such developments, caused by reductions in defence spending, could see highly-skilled workers losing their jobs and national security being undermined, it warns.
SBAC chief executive Ian Godden said the "short-term decisions" based on budgetary pressures risked missing the wider importance of maintaining Britain's defence spending.
"Other nations recognise the threats that they face and are steadily increasing the amount that they allocate to defence," he said.
"We are asking our armed forces to do more with less."
Defence spending has fallen to 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) today, from 4.5 per cent of GDP in the mid-1980s, according to the SBAC.
Mr Godden says it was "right to reap the peace dividend at the end of the cold war" but insists: "There are many, varied, threats that still face the UK and our defence spending does not match our foreign policy commitments."
His organisation's concern that armed forces may not receive the best equipment in future follows a coroner's verdict last week that two British soldiers died because of that failing.
The deaths of Lance Sergeant Chris Casey and Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath in Iraq prompted Wiltshire coroner David Masters to demand a review of government spending on the armed forces.
Yesterday the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the Scots Guards in Iraq were to receive upgraded 'Wrap Two' armour for their Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Critics say its incremental approach is inhibited by cost requirements.
"The introduction of Wrap Two is also just one part of a larger scheme to upgrade the Army's armoured vehicles," a statement on the MoD website said.
"British forces are always looking for ways to counter current threats, and one of the methods of achieving this is through growing its equipment capabilities."