It has been requested that should I receive a reply to my open letter to the Prime Minister, on the cancellation of Nimrod MRA4, that it be posted here.
My original letter was dated October 22nd 2010. It was passed by No 10 to the MOD, for reply, on 22nd November 2010
I post the reply, received today as written and without comment:
From: Defence Business Improvement Division
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MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
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14 February 2011
Dear ,
Thank you for your letter of 22 October to the Prime Minister, and your subsequent e-mail expressing your concerns about the cancellation of Nimrod MRA4. I have been asked to reply on his behalf, I am sorry for the delay in doing so.
The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) brought defence plans, commitments and resources into balance. Tough decisions had to be made to provide the Armed Forces with the sound long term policy and financial basis they require, against the background of the severe financial pressures faced by the nation. These decisions had to be made if resources were to be focussed where they are most needed now, to deliver success in Afghanistan, and at the same time be prepared to meet future challenges.
Some of the most difficult of these decisions related to the RAF’s force structure, where it was simply not possible to continue with all the planned programmes. As a consequence, the Government concluded that, amongst other decisions, the Nimrod MRA4 would not be brought into service, owing to the military tasks to which it was designed to contribute, the amount of public money that had been spent on it, and the impact of such a decision on the people who have dedicated their careers to delivering this capability, or who depend on it for their livelihoods. We have had to prioritise those capabilities that we could continue to maintain. The future support costs of the aircraft also contributed to the decision not to bring the aircraft into service, despite the advanced state of the project.
Since the withdrawal of the Nimrod MR2 in March last year, the Ministry of Defence has sought to mitigate the gap in capability through the use of other military assets, including Type 23 Frigates, Merlin Anti Submarine Warfare helicopters and Hercules C-130 aircraft, and by relying, where appropriate, on assistance from allies and partners. We now need to develop a longer-term plan to mitigate the impact of cancellation on our continuing military tasks and capabilities, and we are doing so. In view of the sensitive and classified nature of some of these military tasks, and the implications for the protection of our armed forces, including the nuclear deterrent, it is not possible for us to comment on these measures in detail.
The decisions taken in the SDSR were fundamentally, and necessarily, about military capability, but we are very conscious that there are implications for the local communities where these aircraft, and the people who fly and support them, are based. We are now taking forward work to analyse the basing and estate consequences of the SDSR in their entirety and develop a way forward. You are no doubt aware that the SDSR announced that RAF Kinloss and two other bases will no longer be required by the RAF, but I should emphasise that no decision has been made to close RAF Kinloss. The work now being taken forward goes far beyond those bases: for example, the rebasing in the UK of forces currently in Germany is being accelerated; and greater efficiencies need to be made through broader estate rationalisation. This is inevitably a complex piece of work going beyond the bases directly affected by the SDSR. It means that it is still too early for decisions to be made, including on what will happen to RAF Kinloss. It takes time to perform the necessary analyses and it is unlikely that any decisions on basing will be taken before the purdah period for the elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are concentrating on reaching the right, rather than a rushed, conclusion.
We do understand the uncertainty and concern this causes in Moray, as it does elsewhere in the country with ties to the Royal Air Force. But these are important decisions and we must get them right to ensure that the UK develops the sustainable forces it will require for the future.
The SDSR said that the armed forces will be continued to be based in a way which is sensitive to economic and social pressures and the needs of Defence, MOD personnel, and their families. We recognise how much the people of Moray have done to support the servicemen and their families who have been based in Moray over the years, and I know this support continues to be appreciated by all who are currently at the two bases. It is the job of Defence Ministers, however, to ensure that our use of the defence estate makes sound military sense and provides value for money to the taxpayer. Final decisions will be objective, based on military advice, detailed investment appraisals and wider impact assessments. If there are any other implications, for example regional economic, employment, or social consequences, then Ministers have said that they will be taken into account by the Government as a whole.
We are being as open as we can be during the process in order to minimise uncertainty both for our own personnel and for the communities affected. We are working with the relevant agencies and the local communities to manage the local impact of our decisions.
I know this is a matter of real concern to you, as well as to others in Moray, and I can assure you it is one we are taking very seriously indeed.
Yours sincerely
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