"The government is considering whether to scrap Ajax, the army's planned new armoured vehicle, even though more than 6bn of taxpayers' money has already been spent on the project. Ajax is eight years late, its defects so serious that vibration and noise have made soldiers training on it sick, with some suffering hearing loss. It is the latest and most egregious example of the huge waste caused by the MoD's incompetence and profligacy over recent years."
"The chairs of the Commons defence and public accounts committees told the MoD last month that its failure to publish its equipment plan in 2023, and again in 2024, has resulted in an unacceptable gap in parliament and the public's ability to scrutinise defence spending. Repeated delays in publishing the MoD's current plan risk sending damaging signals to adversaries. The delays also signal that the MoD culture is unfit for purpose and its leadership cannot be trusted with so much of the British public's money."
Plans to accelerate defence spending confront persistent procurement failures and alleged waste within the Ministry of Defence. The Ajax armoured vehicle programme has consumed more than 6bn of taxpayers' money, is eight years late, and caused vibration and noise problems that made soldiers sick and led to hearing loss. The MoD has spent billions on assets judged vulnerable in modern conflicts. Failure to publish equipment plans in 2023 and 2024 has left parliament and the public unable to scrutinise spending, and delays risk signaling weakness to adversaries, suggesting a culture lacking accountability and trustworthy leadership.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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