55. Against the weight of this evidence, the MoD nonetheless told us that “a fleet of three Wedgetail aircraft, with improved availability when compared to the Sentry, would provide Defence with the capability it needs and provide the UK’s contribution to NATO”.72 56. Given that the cuts to the fleet were made on cost grounds, we examined the proposed savings in detail. Acquisition costs for the original fleet of five aircraft were estimated at £2.155 billion; the MoD now expects to pay £1.89 billion for three.73 Thus, whilst the fleet size has been slashed by 40%, acquisition costs have reduced by just 12%. The graphic below demonstrates the acquisition cost of each aircraft in the original and revised fleet. As our recent report on MoD procurement noted, the decision to cut the fleet clearly represents extremely poor value for money.74