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| MoD budgeting 'harms' UK missions | MoD budgeting 'harms' UK missions |
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| Ministry of Defence systems for buying new equipment are so inefficient they are "harming our ability" to conduct operations, a leaked report suggests. | Ministry of Defence systems for buying new equipment are so inefficient they are "harming our ability" to conduct operations, a leaked report suggests. |
| According to the Sunday Times, the dossier concluded the MoD's acquisition programme was £35bn over budget and five years behind schedule. | According to the Sunday Times, the dossier concluded the MoD's acquisition programme was £35bn over budget and five years behind schedule. |
| It says the report's author Bernard Gray, a former government adviser, has called the problems "endemic". | It says the report's author Bernard Gray, a former government adviser, has called the problems "endemic". |
| The MoD said it was working on the problems detailed in the draft report. | The MoD said it was working on the problems detailed in the draft report. |
| The Sunday Times claims to have seen the full 296-page report and it highlights a number of Mr Gray's comments from the review. | The Sunday Times claims to have seen the full 296-page report and it highlights a number of Mr Gray's comments from the review. |
| It seems as though military equipment acquisition is vying in a technological race with the delivery of civilian software systems for the title of 'world's most delayed technical solution' Bernard Gray Plans to improve defence orders | It seems as though military equipment acquisition is vying in a technological race with the delivery of civilian software systems for the title of 'world's most delayed technical solution' Bernard Gray Plans to improve defence orders |
| "How can it be that it takes 20 years to buy a ship, or aircraft, or tank? Why does it always seem to cost at least twice what was thought?" | "How can it be that it takes 20 years to buy a ship, or aircraft, or tank? Why does it always seem to cost at least twice what was thought?" |
| "Even worse, at the end of the wait, why does it never quite seem to do what it was supposed to?" | "Even worse, at the end of the wait, why does it never quite seem to do what it was supposed to?" |
| He concluded the current programme is unaffordable in the long term and the MoD's procurement section should be privatised. | He concluded the current programme is unaffordable in the long term and the MoD's procurement section should be privatised. |
| "The problems, and the sums of money involved, have almost lost their power to shock, so endemic is the issue," wrote Mr Gray. | "The problems, and the sums of money involved, have almost lost their power to shock, so endemic is the issue," wrote Mr Gray. |
| "It seems as though military equipment acquisition is vying in a technological race with the delivery of civilian software systems for the title of 'world's most delayed technical solution'. Even British trains cannot compete." | "It seems as though military equipment acquisition is vying in a technological race with the delivery of civilian software systems for the title of 'world's most delayed technical solution'. Even British trains cannot compete." |
| The report warns the MoD has a "substantially overheated equipment programme, with too many types of equipment being ordered for too large a range of tasks at too high a specification". | The report warns the MoD has a "substantially overheated equipment programme, with too many types of equipment being ordered for too large a range of tasks at too high a specification". |
| Agile enemies such as the Taliban were "unlikely to wait for our sclerotic acquisition systems to catch up", he said. | Agile enemies such as the Taliban were "unlikely to wait for our sclerotic acquisition systems to catch up", he said. |
| Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox described the report as "very damning" | |
| The Gray dossier also found delays in the shipbuilding programme meant Britain could not have fought a Falklands-style campaign any time over the past 20 years. | The Gray dossier also found delays in the shipbuilding programme meant Britain could not have fought a Falklands-style campaign any time over the past 20 years. |
| "We would have risked significant casualties, the very significant costs of acquiring adequate equipment at short notice (if available) or the embarrassment of not fighting at all," he said. | "We would have risked significant casualties, the very significant costs of acquiring adequate equipment at short notice (if available) or the embarrassment of not fighting at all," he said. |
| The report was originally commissioned by John Hutton, who resigned as defence secretary in June, and it was due to be published in July. | The report was originally commissioned by John Hutton, who resigned as defence secretary in June, and it was due to be published in July. |
| An MoD spokesman said Mr Gray's work will "feed into" its recently announced defence green paper and the government will publish the report in "due course". | An MoD spokesman said Mr Gray's work will "feed into" its recently announced defence green paper and the government will publish the report in "due course". |
| "We are constantly improving the procurement process which has seen us deliver £10 billion of equipment to the front line over the last three years," he added. | "We are constantly improving the procurement process which has seen us deliver £10 billion of equipment to the front line over the last three years," he added. |
| 'Confidence trick' | 'Confidence trick' |
| Parts of the report had already been leaked and the BBC's political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said its findings were expected to be critical. | Parts of the report had already been leaked and the BBC's political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said its findings were expected to be critical. |
| But it was understood the government had decided not to go ahead with publication because the conclusions were so stark, she added. | But it was understood the government had decided not to go ahead with publication because the conclusions were so stark, she added. |
| Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox described the report as "very damning". | Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox described the report as "very damning". |
| Mr Fox told the BBC: "It's not clear now to any of us what the size of the black hole is; whether our entire defence budget is in fact some kind of confidence trick that tells us we will have equipment in the future, but for which no money has been put aside. | Mr Fox told the BBC: "It's not clear now to any of us what the size of the black hole is; whether our entire defence budget is in fact some kind of confidence trick that tells us we will have equipment in the future, but for which no money has been put aside. |
| "It's simply not good enough for the government to suppress a report of this significance. | "It's simply not good enough for the government to suppress a report of this significance. |
| "The conclusion the public will come to is we have a government of smear and fear and not leadership." | "The conclusion the public will come to is we have a government of smear and fear and not leadership." |
| Political row | Political row |
| The leaked dossier is likely to fuel the ongoing political row over equipment levels for troops, which have particularly focussed on helicopters. | The leaked dossier is likely to fuel the ongoing political row over equipment levels for troops, which have particularly focussed on helicopters. |
| Last month, the Commons defence select committee said a lack of helicopters was undermining UK forces' operations and troop protection in Afghanistan, where the British death toll has now reached 206. | Last month, the Commons defence select committee said a lack of helicopters was undermining UK forces' operations and troop protection in Afghanistan, where the British death toll has now reached 206. |
| Criticism has also come from within the government's own ranks. Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch Brown had to row back from his comments after telling a newspaper, "we definitely don't have enough helicopters". | Criticism has also come from within the government's own ranks. Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch Brown had to row back from his comments after telling a newspaper, "we definitely don't have enough helicopters". |
| The head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has called for better equipment to protect troops from roadside bombs in Afghanistan. | The head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has called for better equipment to protect troops from roadside bombs in Afghanistan. |
| But the government has repeatedly insisted the Army has enough equipment and denied claims of a helicopter shortage. | But the government has repeatedly insisted the Army has enough equipment and denied claims of a helicopter shortage. |