| Building an economy aircraft carrier could save £1bn, Cameron to be told Rearguard action by Ministry of Defence and Navy to save planned vessel from being scrapped altogetherDavid Cameron will be told on Thursday that it will be cheaper to turn Britain's second planned aircraft carrier into a "floating platform" without any planes, rather than scrap the project altogether.The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy have conceded that the £5bn carrier programme will not survive unscathed because of deep cuts in public spending.But they will warn a meeting of Britain's top defence and security officials chaired by the prime minister that it would cost £1.5bn to scrap the second carrier in cancellation fees to companies already contracted to build it.Officials will argue that converting the carrier into a pared-down floating platform to ferry helicopters, troops and vehicles would save £1bn in construction costs, according to senior defence sources. Not buying the 69 Joint Strike Fighters as intended would save about £7bn. MoD officials and Navy top brass will also argue that the second carrier could be kept in port most of the time to save hundreds of millions in running costs.It would be kept on "extended readiness" to provide cover for the first carrier when it needs to undergo maintenance. The rearguard action by the MoD and Navy to secure a second carrier came as Gordon Brown warned that failing to build both aircraft carriers would be a "betrayal".In his first intervention in British politics since resigning as prime minister, Brown told the BBC: "It would be a betrayal of Rosyth and the shipbuilding yards of the Clyde if the aircraft carriers were cancelled. I am very strongly of the view that our defence and our strategic needs require the aircraft carriers."Brown, whose Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency is close to the Rosyth dockyard, was condemned by Liam Fox, the defence secretary. Fox said: "The real betrayal in defence was Gordon Brown's vindictive attitude as chancellor and unwillingness as prime minister to properly fund our armed forces. He left behind a budgetary black hole and a fatally damaged reputation which no amount of bluster from him will ever be able to repair. "The defence secretary will intensify his attack tomorrow when he tells the Tory conference in Birmingham that Labour has left him with a £38bn overspend on defence which must be cut over 10 years. Fox is also facing Treasury demands to cut his budget on top of that by 10% between 2011-14, though George Osborne is said to be softening his position on this point. It is understood that Fox is examining proposals to stagger the building of the aircraft carriers.One would be built as planned and smaller frigates would initially be built in place of the second aircraft carrier to avoid penalty clauses. The second carrier would be built once economic conditions picked up.The new centre at a 1,000-acre site near Barry is intended to consolidate the three armed services' existing training facilities around the country, able to cater for up to 3,000 students at any one time.The 30-year contract, awarded to defence firm Qinetiq and US firm Raytheon, covers staff, catering and maintenance. But the cost has already increased from the original estimate of £12bn to a figure closer to £14bn, while the government has made clear its dislike of PFI-style contracts.One senior defence source described its future as "pretty bleak" and its fate could also be sealed at the national security council meeting. Officials say the work by the consortium – already costing the MoD more than £80m – has not provided what is required.A spokesman for the consortium argued that it would be "illogical" to scrap the new centre because it would free up 1,200 sailors, soldiers and airmen involved in the military's exi sting training programme. The first aircraft carrier, which Cameron at the weekend indicated was going ahead, will initially be equipped with ageing Harriers. Each carrier was supposed to be equipped with 69 new Joint Strike Fighters, but the government could slash this number by at least half to make further savings. Each fighter is now estimated to cost at least £100m, a 50% increase, and the price is still rising.The Guardian has also learned that a £14bn PFI project – one of the largest ever – to finance a military training academy in Wales is likely to be scrapped as part of the strategic defence review, to be published later this month.MilitaryDefence policyLiam FoxDavid CameronGordon BrownGeorge OsborneTim WebbRichard Norton-TaylorNicholas Wattguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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