Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Paragraph: 44
The Ministry, which mandated this weapons system, should therefore now be fully transparent about the...
Conclusion
The Ministry, which mandated this weapons system, should therefore now be fully transparent about the cost of this new, highly specialised ammunition and its implications for the full life-cycle costs of the vehicle (and indeed for Ajax, which utilises the same weapon system).
Paragraph Reference:
44
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Department is committed to this weapons system and agrees with the Committee for the need for accountability and transparency on the programme. The higher cost of the 40mm ammunition and weapon system reflects its increased capability against more demanding threats; increased effectiveness will reduce the amount needed to be fired, whilst increased synthetic training will also reduce live fire costs. Furthermore, cooperation with France, who have had success in integrating the weapon, on the 40mm Cased Telescoped Weapons System (CTWS) has allowed the UK to share cost in 40mm ammunition development and cannon and ammunition qualification. Manufacturing resilience is improved, with CTWS ammunition able to be assembled from components in either country. Shared use of the weapon system has allowed collaborative learning and delivers useful operational interoperability. The CTWS also supports a number of manufacturing and engineering jobs across several key BAES sites including Glascoed, Washington, and the Bishopton Site in Scotland. A Full Business Case for the initial operational stock purchase of 40mm in 2019 outlined the estimated whole life costs for 40mm ammunition. This was subject to internal independent assurance.