Given the state of our AD destroyer Fleet and the fact its well past renewal as are most naval surface escorts I think the money is being well spent. It is also preserving British jobs/industry which unfortunatley falls into the role of supporting UK govt policy.
I agree of the shelf would be a better option for alot of kit I note Panther is off the shelf as are the new logistic vehicles. And there are vehicles that should have been purchased to replace Saxon and FV432 many years ago.
Nimrod MR4 could have had the avionics fitted to an Airbus or beoing airframe. And do we need A400m why not just get more C17.
But I view with increasing concern the conversion of our armed forces to a Light role counter insurgencey force and the knives comming out to cut conventional projects to support this.
The Army is getting dangerously out of balance and should have been expended in the last defence review. The Airforce is getting to the point were there will not be suficient transport assets to move ground forces let alone support them and the Navy has a great amphibious capibility that will soon be able to go nowhere as there will be insuficient escorts. Except of course the grand plan is the UK joining a Eurozone defence force.