Harrier fleet sold to US military

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Source: The Guardian

The UK's biggest military projects are more than £6bn over budget, and are suffering from further delays despite attempts to bring them under stricter control, according to the government spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office report also states that the UK faces a potential shortage of attack submarines because of cost-cutting decisions taken in last year's strategic defence and security review.

In a 70-page study, the NAO says the total cost of 15 equipment programmes has reached £59.6bn, and that – on average – they will be 30 months late into service. The watchdog says the MoD is still reeling from mistakes made more than a decade ago, but concedes that the department is slowly bringing things under control.

Margaret Hodge, the chair of the public accounts committee, described the overspend as "shocking", and said that "delaying projects and reducing what they deliver is not a sensible way to invest in defence".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/16/harrier-fleet-sold-us-military