🚨 Britain is set to slash its order of early-warning radar jets, redrawing a controversial contract awarded without competition in bid to save money
MoD has drawn up plans to revise order for E-7 Wedgetail jets from five to three, I'm told
US figures unhappy with move
1/n
Officials reopened discussions with Boeing about the £2.1bn programme over the summer with a view to achieving better value for money.
Wedgetail is designed to rapidly identify airborne & maritime threats, and guide combat jets to targets in bombing raids.
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Critics of programme argue cheaper options to provide a similar capability may be on horizon soon
MoD is thought to believe reducing (but not scrapping) Wedgetail order could save hundreds of millions of pounds over 10 years, while maintaining several hundred skilled jobs
3/n
US figures unhappy, after Boeing invested in initiatives to boost UK industry
Source: "The Americans are pretty angry about it. It's bad for Boeing &... the UK has welched on its pre-agreed commitments when the US have been pretty accommodating in trying to help them plug a gap"
Initial contract was controversial - sparking consternation after it was signed off by Gavin Williamson without being put to competitive tender.
European defence giants Airbus & Saab were understood to have been in talks about combining capabilities to challenge Boeing for deal.
Tobias Ellwood, Tory chairman of the Commons defence committee, has urged the MoD to stick to initial Wedgetail order, arguing the fleet will be crucial to UK fulfilling its commitment to Nato.
He predicted that cutting order would not achieve the scale of savings anticipated
First RAF Wedgetail expected to be in service in 2023 and UK jets will contribute to Nato’s awacs aircraft fleet.
Compromise could yet be struck in which UK only reduces order by one, taking total to four jets, I understand.
MoD spokesman said: “We regularly discuss equipment programmes with our partners, particularly when it comes to making savings & cutting costs, where appropriate.”
Boeing spox: “Wedgetail is the world’s most advanced, capable and reliable command-and-control aircraft... It will provide the RAF with a combat-proven capability that is low risk and unmatched. We don’t comment on commercial matters.”
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