Mickj3 , N_a_B is as usual correct. If you read 3.1:
'We estimate the capital cost of a four-boat force, at today's prices, as up to £5 billion, spread over 15 years. We expect rather over half of the expenditure to fall in the 1980s. We intend to accommodate this within the defence budget in the normal way, alongside our other major force improvements […]
...
It is a weapons system, like any other weapons system – ships, tanks, or whatever it may be. Within the defence budget this can and will be accommodated in the same way as Polaris was accommodated 10 to 20 years ago ...
Overall this expensive weapons system will take between 3 per cent and 4 per cent over the 15-year period, but at its peak years it will be about 5 per cent of the whole defence budget and 8 per cent of the equipment part of the budget.'
(Funny thing memory - I was convinced the costs were ring-fenced from the main budget)
Last edited by SLXOwft; 13th Mar 2023 at 12:58.
Reason: Hadn't read far enough back