The Government has declined to say whether the UK intends to procure the Nightfall ballistic missile, instead pointing to the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan for decisions on Britain’s future precision strike.
In a written question, Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty asked what assessment the Secretary of State for Defence had made of the potential impact of procuring the Nightfall missile on the UK’s precision fires capability. The question directly raised the prospect of the system contributing to Britain’s own long-range strike inventory.
Responding for the Ministry of Defence, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard focused on the programme’s stated purpose.
“The new ballistic missiles developed under Project Nightfall are intended to provide Ukraine with a long range-capability to counter Russian aggression as rapidly as possible,” he said.
Pollard added that “decisions on the UK’s precision strike capabilities will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the future Integrated Force and set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.”
There is no indication that Nightfall is currently being considered as a defined UK procurement programme. Instead, ministers are signalling that any changes to Britain’s precision fires capability, whether involving Nightfall or alternative systems, will be addressed within the wider force design and investment process due to be outlined later this year.
Yet another non answer with anything concrete awaiting the DIP later this year. This government gives the impression it simply doesn’t know what to do.
Why do you think that is an impression rather than reality?
I scent an internal war on the defence budget increase. The manufacturing unions want the money spent, Starmer wants the money spent as industrial strategy in UK produced weapons.
Army wants MOTS/COTS basically anything that works now.
Navy is more relaxed as the hulls will be UK produced and it is happy with A30 and CAMM etc.
RAF wants more F35A and Starmer and the unions want Typhoon. This is where the F35B -> A game has backfired as they could have used RN / CSG as cover for more F35B.
It is also worth noting that the last working day before Leonardo’s NMH offer expires is tomorrow with no sign of an announcement, let alone the DIP.
Next Tuesday March 3rd is the date Reeves delivers her spring forecast statement to MPs. I would guess the spending depts will have sight of the funds they have been alllocated from Monday and assuming there is some decision on Ajax, can work on the DIP. They will likely leak decisions on some urgent items like NMH to Leonardo
There are rumours the medium helicopter contract will be announced next week. The whole DIP could be published with the Spring Forecast on the 3rd March.
I’m sure the forces and the defence ministers know very well what they need to do and what.equipment they need to do it. The delay in finalising the DIP is now primarily down to money. The services claim to be £28 bn short to fund defence investment over the next ten years. There is no chance of getting that from the public purse, the nation is about skint and every department needs more cash following years of austerity.
The Chancellor has the options to (a) exclude defence spending fron the fiscal borrowing rules, as pet Germany, (b) borrow the money for a one-off investment in equipment as per the EU’s SAFE scheme or a UK equivalent, (c) raise.the money through defence bonds basically Treasury gilts or (d) put a 1p in the pound levy on taxes. The first three mean she would have to breach her borrowing rules , the fourth would breach HMG’s tax pledges. But the government will have to choose one of these doors or else cut the investment plan back by £28bn.
The best we can hope for is a compromise, where some more new money is provided by HMT, which.has now got £30bn headroom in its fiscal policy, but a lot.of the grand new schemes like Atlantic Bastion are scaled back sharply and delivery times pushed to the right.
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Cripes,
Wonder whether the forecasted £28Bn shortfall in the procurement budget also includes the agreed expansion of MoD’s budget to 3.5% of GDP by 2035? Accountants, especially those of the governmental variety, should be accorded continuing, close scrutiny, throughout the developed world. 🤔😉
DIP published THIS YEAR! What a waste of words.
This is actually a softening of the government position, as previously IIRC they had said there were ‘no plans’ to procure Nightfall for our own use.
The answer is no then.
O/T but what are Prince Harry and Meghan doing in Jordan? Selling RBSL Challenger refurbishment services perhaps?