Thread by @Gabriel64869839

Casual mention of carriers as source of Army woes is ever present. Nevermind fact that carriers are paid for and haven't even qualified to be in Major Projects spreadsheet for 3 years now.
Army has 2 "carrier-sized" projects ongoing: AJAX and MIV (BOXER)
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

AJAX, in the last Major Project spreadsheet, had its overall cost exempted for commercial reasons, an ominous sign. Last time it was given, it was 6353 million. MIV is 6575 million. That the return on both of these projects is so sub-optimal is largely the Army's own fault.

"Poor" British Army also has 1371 million on Challenger 3, 1787 million earmarked for Ground Based Air Defence, 1521 million for land ISTAR and especially a 13,140 million LeTacCIS mega-programme which is notoriously not doing well, particularly its MORPHEUS sub-component.

Then there is GMLRS expenditure (quite likely to appear on Major Project report this year due to its scope and thus cost expansion) and Mobile Fires Platform, quite likely to also get on the spreadsheet soon and of which we are told there are at least 800 million to its name.

Navy has of course ASTUTE, but even if you wanted to question rationale of replacing the SSNs (i hope not!), that expenditure began literally before Tony Blair was elected: it is spread over a loooong time. F-35? Expenditure began in 2001. AJAX started in 2014, MIV in 2019.

Mind you, expenditure on artillery, ground based air defence and land ISTAR is good and welcome. But AJAX and BOXER need sorting out to best of what signed contracts allow. The BOXER variants pick is a suicidal shitshow at present. Army ought to fix that before whining for more.