In its delivery of new aircraft carriers, the MoD has sacrificed short term affordability for long term value for money, a decision that may also leave the UK with a reduced defence capability

Like most other government departments, the Ministry of Defence has not been spared George Osborne’s axe, and plans to procure two new large aircraft carriers have been significantly affected. In light of a new government report on their construction, Chris Brown finds that we may be about to build carriers only to put them straight into mothballs, and that we may have traded short term savings for long term capabilities.