Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Tenth Report - Aviation Procurement: Winging it?
Defence Committee
HC 178
Published 10 September 2023
Recommendations
8
Rejected
Para 58
Set out NATO discussions and revisit Wedgetail fleet reduction to five aircraft
Recommendation
Of all of the Defence Command Paper’s cuts, the decision to reduce the UK’s Wedgetail E-7 fleet from five to three aircraft stands out as the most perverse, with the fleet cut by 40% for an acquisition saving of just …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects revisiting the decision to reduce the Wedgetail fleet to three aircraft, stating the reduction saves £700 million and meets key requirements despite acknowledging increased risk. It confirms ongoing engagement with NATO via NAPMO to update them on the programme's developments.
Ministry of Defence
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Conclusions (3)
2
Conclusion
Rejected
Para 22
The RAF’s combat aircraft fleet now provides a boutique high capability: it lacks numerical depth and has an inadequate attrition reserve. Exquisite capability has its place, but in a peer-on-peer conflict such as a shooting war with Russia, every airframe will count. Combat aircraft numbers are already low. The Defence …
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the need to increase combat air mass, arguing that effectiveness is not solely judged by numbers, and current investment in capabilities like Typhoon and F-35B, along with NATO contributions, provides sufficient deterrent capability.
5
Conclusion
Rejected
Para 41
Planned sensor and weapons upgrades to the Typhoon fleet must be delivered at pace. In light of the RAF’s lack of any operational reserve, the MoD should seriously consider mothballing the Tranche 1 Typhoons which are due to be retired in 2025 rather than disposing of them.
Government Response Summary
The government has rejected the recommendation to mothball Tranche 1 Typhoons, citing that regeneration would cost over £300 million due to capability, obsolescence, and regulatory needs. It also states retaining them would prevent harvesting components essential for sustaining Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft.
18
Conclusion
Rejected
Para 125
The far-reaching cuts to aircraft numbers set out in the 2021 Defence Command Paper weakened the UK’s air power capability at a time when the armed forces were already over-stretched. The scale of this gamble became clear less than a year later, when Europe faced its most serious security crisis …
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the committee's conclusion, asserting that increased defence spending and transformation programmes ensure the RAF continues to modernise and play a vital role in UK and allied security, rather than being diminished.