UK: Aircraft carrier delays 'threaten naval capacity'

Delays in a £31 billion project to replace aircraft carriers and fighter planes are threatening the Royal Navy's ability to do its job, a new report warns today.

The cross-party Commons defence committee says the navy would be forced to upgrade existing aircraft in the meantime, something that would be both expensive and most likely reduce the force's capability.

"As with many other defence equipment programmes, our armed forces are likely to receive the equipment they need, and the capability they require to undertake their role, later than planned," the MPs said.

However, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) insisted "significant progress" had been made on the aircraft carrier project, and defended the delays as necessary to ensure all the necessary risk and cost assessments were carried out before the project began.

The department plans to replace the navy's current strength of three aircraft carriers with two larger, more versatile ones, and to build new carrier-born fighter planes to replace Harrier jets.

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