19/08/2010
Budget Cuts Could Sink New Aircraft Carriers

Britain could cancel one or both of its planned new aircraft carriers to cut costs, it emerged on Thursday night. Britain’s ageing squadrons of 106 Tornado fighter planes are also reportedly being lined up for retirement by 2020 – five years earlier than originally planned.
The claims, from Ministry of Defence sources, came as coalition colleagues argue over plans for the £20billion Trident nuclear submarine project. They have yet to agree on how it should be funded or whether it should even go ahead.
Defence secretary Liam Fox wants the Treasury to pay for Trident and has promised a defence spending review this October.
 
Last night’s claims appear to pre-empt that review.
 
Work is already under way on the carriers, involving about 10,000 British shipyard jobs that could now be threatened. The former Labour government gave the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers the go-ahead in 2007, at a cost of £5.2billion.
 
The Queen Elizabeth class carriers, due to enter service in 2016 and 2018, are being built by a consortium including BAE Systems, Babcock International and Thales.
 
The MoD is expected to cut costs by up to 20 per cent by 2015, as part of the coalition government’s bid to reduce Britain’s £154.7billion deficit.
 
‘We could have one, two or no new aircraft carriers,’ said the source.
 
‘All options are on the table. That does not mean we are leaning towards one particular option, but none should be considered as too radical.’
 
There are no plans to axe Trident, despite renewed calls, added the source.
 
Click here: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838576-budget-cuts-could-sink-new-aircraft-carriers