U.K. to Delay Aircraft-Carrier Order, Opposition Says

Britain may delay a 3 billion-pound ($4.5 billion) aircraft-carrier contract, scrap the purchase of armored vehicles and scale back a helicopter order as the government pares defense spending, the Conservative Party said.

The cuts will be detailed in a review of the budget for military equipment to be released tomorrow, opposition defense spokesman Liam Fox said in an e-mailed statement, citing “leaked reports” prior to the report’s publication.

The Ministry of Defence, which is fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is trying to trim spending at the request of the Treasury, which has been grappling with one of Europe’s biggest budget deficits.

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