UK Inquiry Tracker

Delivering carrier strike

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 7 Sep 2020 Closed: 9 Nov 2020 Parliament page

Carrier Strike is a military programme to provide the ability to launch aircraft from a ship to undertake a range of military tasks. It is central to the government’s plans for the country’s armed forces and the first step towards Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP), which is the government’s ambition … Read more Carrier Strike is a military programme to provide the ability to launch aircraft from a ship to undertake a range of military tasks. It is central to the government’s plans for the country’s armed forces and the first step towards Carrier Enabled Power Projection (CEPP), which is the government’s ambition to be able to respond to conflicts and support humanitarian relief efforts anywhere in the world at short notice. Carrier Strike will be based around two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers – the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy – together with Lightning II jets, which are being procured through the United States Department of Defense. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also buying a new airborne radar system, Crowsnest, to help protect a carrier strike group. Depending on the type of deployment, the carriers will be accompanied by at least one destroyer, an anti submarine warfare frigate, and ships for support and resupply. The NAO has previously stated, in 2017, that the project phase to 2020 would be crucial, with little room for manoeuvre in the delivery schedule. Since then, the Department has received two new aircraft carriers into service, now has 18 Lightning II jets and has developed much of the UK infrastructure to support them. It has delivered the carriers for £6.4 billion, which is 3% above the revised figure announced to Parliament in 2013. The Department has conducted sea trials and is working closely with the US to be ready for its first joint deployment in 2021. It has also established plans for using Carrier Strike in its early years. The latest NAO report though finds that the MoD is now making slower progress in developing the crucial supporting activities that are needed to make full use of a carrier strike group, such as the Crowsnest radar system and the ability to resupply the carriers. In addition, it has not established a clear view on the future cost of enhancing, operating and supporting Carrier Strike, which creates the risk of future affordability pressures. The Department will not achieve value for money from its investment to date unless it provides clarity on its future ambitions; develops its understanding of future development and operating costs; and ensures cross-command coherence and collaboration to develop the full capabilities of Carrier Strike. Later in September we will question senior MoD and military officials on the Carrier Strike programme and the work around it needed to make Carrier Strike fully operational. If you have evidence on the issues raised in this inquiry, please submit it here by Monday 21 September 2020. Show less

17 Recommendations

10 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 6 events

12 Jul
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from David Williams, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, re Carrier Strike, dated 30 June 2021

4 Mar
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, re Delivering Carrier Strike, Recommendation 5, dated 26…

4 Feb
2021

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-third report from Session 2019-21

13 Nov
2020

Report published

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering carrier strike

13 Oct
2020

Correspondence

Correspondence from Stephen Lovegrove, Ministry of Defence, re Carrier Strike, dated 8 October 2020

28 Sep
2020

Oral evidence

Carrier Strike

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

28 Sep 2020

View on parliament.uk

Carrier Strike

Air Marshal Richard Knighton CB · Ministry of Defence Charlie Pate · Ministry of Defence Sir Simon Bollom · Ministry of Defence Sir Stephen Lovegrove · Ministry of Defence

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Twenty-Third Report - Delivering carrier strike	HC 684	13 Nov 2020	27	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results

2 Recommendation Not Addressed

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering c…

There remains considerable uncertainty over the Department’s future ambitions for Carrier Strike.

There remains considerable uncertainty over the Department’s future ambitions for Carrier Strike. The government is re-assessing its defence priorities in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (the Review), which it is due to publish in November … Read more

Government Response

The government response is entirely unrelated to the committee's recommendation, discussing the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund instead of Carrier Strike and defence ambitions.

HM Treasury

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4 Recommendation Not Addressed

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering c…

The value for money of the investment in the carriers will be significantly reduced if...

The value for money of the investment in the carriers will be significantly reduced if the UK cannot afford enough aircraft to sustain operations over the carriers’ service life. The Department acknowledges that it will need more than the 48 … Read more

Government Response

The response does not address the recommendation to provide a detailed breakdown of Lightning II expenditure and whole life costs, including additional costs for buying more than 48 jets, instead discussing an unrelated fund and monitoring process.

HM Treasury

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1 Conclusion Not Addressed

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering c…

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Defence (the Department) on its progress in developing Carrier Strike and the steps it still needs to take to achieve its … Read more

Government Response

The government response is entirely unrelated to the committee's item, discussing the Department for International Trade and Towns Fund instead of the Ministry of Defence and Carrier Strike.

HM Treasury

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16 Conclusion Not Addressed

Twenty-Third Report - Delivering c…

The Department said that if it is to deploy one carrier at a time it...

The Department said that if it is to deploy one carrier at a time it would not need all 138 aircraft. It acknowledged, however, that it will need more than 48 Lightning II jets to sustain Carrier Strike operations through … Read more

Government Response

The government's response addresses a different recommendation regarding a detailed breakdown of Lightning II expenditure and whole life costs, arranging a private briefing, and does not engage with the substance of the provided committee text about the number of jets needed.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 27 of 17 classified

Accepted 21

Accepted in Part 1

Deferred 1

Not Addressed 4

Total 17 recs + 10 conclusions

Correspondence 3 letters

12 Jul 2021 Correspondence from David Williams, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, re Carrier Strike, dated 30 June 2021

Parliament page

4 Mar 2021 Correspondence from Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, re Delivering Carrier Strike, Recommendation 5, dated 26 February 2021

Parliament page

13 Oct 2020 Correspondence from Stephen Lovegrove, Ministry of Defence, re Carrier Strike, dated 8 October 2020

Parliament page