Recommendation 17

As at April 2020, the Department had spent £6.0 billion on the Lightning II project, 37 C&AG’s Report, para. 2.1 and Figure 6 38 Q 22; C&AG’s Report, paras. 1.14 and 1.15 39 Qq 20, 43–45; C&AG’s Report, para. 3 40 Q 50 41 Qq 22, 49 42 Q 50 43 Q 23; C&AG’s Report, para. 1.19 44 Q 39 Delivering carrier strike 13 out of an approved budget of £10.5 billion. The approved budget had increased by £1.4 billion (15%) since 2017. However, the Department has forecast that the programme’s whole life costs for 48 jets to 2048 would be £18.4 billion, which broadly breaks down as £5 billion for development, £5 billion for production and £8 billion for sustainment and support. This is £7.9 billion more than the current approved budget, and does not include operating costs, such as manpower, fuel and weapons expenditure.45