JDW:
Cameron orders independent review into F-35 decision
Prime Minister David Cameron has asked the UK Treasury to conduct an independent assessment of the costs associated with converting one of the two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to operate the F-35C: the carrier variant (CV) of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Cameron's intervention follows a meeting with Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on 19 March, during which Hammond is believed to have recommended backtracking on the CV acquisition plan because of the costs of carrier conversion. He is thought to have instead advocated the purchase of the F-35B, the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of JSF.
The prime minister's decision to seek an independent review is thought to reflect two principal concerns. First, the political embarrassment resulting from a U-turn on one of the central components of the coalition government's October 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR); second, the possible adverse reaction from the US government and the US Navy (USN), both of which have been working with UK counterparts on a long-term carrier co-operation formalised under a Statement of Intent signed in January.
The F-35B was originally selected to meet the UK's Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) requirement in 2002. However, as part of the SDSR, the coalition government announced its intention to switch to the F-35C variant on the grounds of interoperability with allies, improved performance and reduced through-life costs.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance responsible for the design and build of the two ships have been working on plans to adapt the second-of-class Prince of Wales for CV operations from build. While Conversion Development Phase studies are due to run to late 2012, the decision was taken in early 2011 to maximise aviation equipment commonality with the USN's CVN-78 Gerald R Ford carrier programme. This includes adopting the same Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) systems.
However, concerns as to the 'in-years' affordability of the CV conversion - with some estimates now topping GBP1.6 billion (USD2.5 billion) - have prompted the MoD to reconsider the STOVL option as it attempts to finalise its 2012-13 budget and balance the equipment programme.
The Treasury's Major Project Review Group is due to complete its report by mid-April, with its findings to be put forward to the National Security Council shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, a letter sent by US Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development & Acquisition, Sean J Stackley, to the UK's Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Minister, Peter Luff, in mid-March has provided insight into the projected cost of the US-supplied aircraft launch and recovery equipment (ALRE) earmarked for Prince of Wales .
According to Stackley, the current estimate is in the range of USD733 million to USD840 million. This accounts for USD156 million in non-recurring engineering, plus the costs associated with the procurement of ALRE, including a two-track EMALS system and three-wire AAG configuration.