Recommendation 13

The Department explained that for complex, technologically advanced programmes, it was usual to have a profile of upfront investment before the manufacture phase began.26 When the Department awarded the manufacture contract in 2014, it included some overlap of demonstration and manufacture phases, thinking this would reduce the risk of missing programme milestones. However, after the reset, progress was slower than expected and the overlap between phases doubled to almost eight years. This made addressing design and safety issues more complex because of the need to manage this alongside complex manufacturing, delivery and retrofitting schedules.27 In response to the programme’s 19 Q 97; C&AG’s Report, para. 9 20 Qq 6, 14 21 HM Government, Defence and Security Industrial Strategy: A strategic approach to the UK’s defence and security industrial sectors, CP 410, March 2021 22 Qq 15, 97 23 Qq 9, 10, 11 24 Q 18 25 Q 57; C&AG’s Report, para. 2.17 26 Q 57 27 C&AG’s Report, Key facts and paras. 9, 1.9 12 Armoured Vehicles: the Ajax programme problems, the Department has commissioned a QC-led Ajax Lessons Learned Review into how it can deliver major programmes more effectively, including sharing and escalating information.28 The need for behavioural change