Equipment Exam priorities
The majority of media outlets have reported on yesterday's Equipment Exam announcement. The announcement was not about defence cuts. This examination enables us to prioritise more of our resources to those capabilities that will support current operations. Like commercial companies and other governments, we continuously need to review our equipment programme in the light of emerging and changing priorities. This examination has prioritised more of our resources to those capabilities that support current operations and helped bring the defence equipment programme more closely into balance. This is not a defence cut.
It is a fact that the defence budget continues to grow in real terms year on year. By 2011 the defence budget will be 10% higher in real terms than it was in 1997. We're not reducing the expenditure in the Ministry of Defence. We are setting our priorities now within the budget that we've been given in the Comprehensive Spending Review, which is a rising spend profile for defence. On top of the core defence budget, £9.5billion has been provided since 2001 to fund operations. By the end of this financial year this will have risen to approximately £13.2billion. Support to current operations remains our highest priority which is why we have invested over £4billion through the Urgent Operational Requirements process in new equipment for front line operations.
The recent announcement of nearly 700 protected patrol vehicles for Afghanistan, at a cost of over £700million, is an indication of our continued commitment to supporting our troops on the front line and ensuring they have the best kit available and yesterday we announced £70million to upgrade 12 Lynx Mk 9 helicopters to boost the capability in Afghanistan. As well as the protected mobility package, we have agreed with the Treasury a budget of a further £635million in 2009/10 for other urgent operational requirements. Click here for more information.
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UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Budgets
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