Select committee: Defence Committee
First Special Report: Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army’s armoured vehicle capability: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2019–21
Published 21 May 2021
Defence Committee Progress in delivering the British Army’s armoured vehicle capability Report on parliament.uk ↗
At a glance
The government's response
This document responds to Fifth report: Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army’s armoured vehicle capability.
This is the government's response, published 21 May 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government largely sets out reforms and programme plans in response, noting criticisms of past acquisition, while disagreeing with some points, including that the 40mm weapon system contributed to Ajax delays.
- On past procurement failings, the Department "notes the Committee's comments and acknowledges that defence acquisition has faced challenges in the past", and points to reforms including a three step approvals process.
- On Boxer, it "agrees with the Committee on the desirability of acceleration" and is "intending to accelerate and enhance the programme", to deliver full operational capability by 2030.
- On Challenger 2, it says the Life Extension Project offers better value for money than off-the-shelf alternatives, and that an auto-loader was "considered and dismissed early" on capability and technical feasibility grounds.
- On the Warrior upgrade, it states that a decision "has now been taken as part of the Integrated Review to no longer upgrade Warrior".
What the committee recommended
This is a government response document, so it has no recommendations of its own.