Here, here.
Earlier this year, a well known Conservative politician whilst in the Stan was chatting to a group of RAF/AAC crews relaxing by the OPS tent and pointed to what is without doubt the most successful and battle proven utility helicopter in its 20,000lb class range and asked the question “Why don’t you guys fly those?” “We’d like nothing more, but you politicians won’t buy them for us” came the reply.
Having listened to Sarah Montague on Thursday’s Today programme discussing the delay of CVF with Rear Admiral Scott Lidbetter and Brigadier Alan Mallinson (both retired), Brigadier Mallinson made reference to a question Nick Clegg put to the P.M. back in May of this year.
Hansard (House of Commons Daily Debates)
21 May 2008 : Column 315
Mr. Clegg: I am grateful to the Prime Minister for that reply. That being the case, does he share my concern that much of our defence expenditure continues to be misallocated on cold war priorities? For example, we are committed to spending £6 billion on the Eurofighter but are failing to deliver enough of the right kinds of armoured vehicles to our troops on the ground in Afghanistan. W ill the Prime Minister commit to undertaking the first strategic defence review in 10 years to ensure that our troops are properly equipped for the new kinds of conflict that they now face?
The Prime Minister: I think that the right hon. Gentleman will know that we have spent £6 billion on urgent operational requirements in addition to the ordinary defence budget for the work that is being done by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will also know that when it comes to giving our fighting troops the equipment that they need, we have made major investments now and for the future including in tanks and helicopters for Afghanistan. Eurofighters are strike aircraft, and I think that the right hon. Gentleman will recognise that they are of use in the theatres of war in which we are operating. He will also welcome the announcement yesterday that the aircraft carrier order will go ahead, benefiting almost every shipyard in the UK.
It’s well known that the P.M. has little time for the MoD, but if proof were needed that he sees the MoD as little more than a job creation scheme for UK industries, then surely the last paragraph says it all.