Now they're taking the p*ss. £2.6 billion for each carrier, already designed to take the catapult as an upgrade, and they're quoting nigh on another £1 billion to actually put one in?
Babcock says Aircraft carrier changes will add up to £800m to taxpayer bill
Changes to the £5.2bn aircraft carrier programme, intended to save the taxpayer money, will add as much to £800m to the cost of each ship.
The addition of catapult and arrestor gear to the aircraft carrier means the UK does not need to buy the more costly vertical take-off and landing model (VTOL) of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), which will fly off the carriers when they finally go into service in 2020. The extra equipment also means the ships can be used by US and French jets.
However Babcock, part of the BAE Systems-led consortium building the two carriers, estimates adding the equipment will cost £600m to £800m per ship, potentially taking the total bill for the vessels to almost £7bn.
At present, the Government plans to add the extra equipment to only one carrier. A "fully effective" carrier will not go into service with the Royal Navy until 2020 as a result of the changes, rather than 2016 as originally planned.