Despite planned, real-terms military spending cuts of almost $1.6 billion by 2001-2002, and disbandment of two more RAF Tornado squadrons, New Labour's recent and long-awaited Strategic Defense Review (SDR) will leave most current MoD equipment procurement programs virtually unscathed. An SDR keynote is its emphasis on deployment mobility to increase the effectiveness of Britain's shrinking armed forces in overseas peace-keeping intervention roles, demanding very large financial allocations for new equipment.

Still unknown to date is planned procurement funding in future defense budgets, which will increase only nominally from the current year's £22.24 billion to £22.987 billion by 2002, representing a 3% real-term reduction. In addition to current major equipment procurement programs, however, SDR commitments extend not only to two new Royal Navy 30,000- to 40,000-tonne carriers, and their complements of up to 50 future carrier-borne aircraft (FCBA) and helicopters, but also four heavy-lift Boeing/MDC C-17s, plus 30 to 40 more strategic and tactical tanker/transports.

As the nucleus of UK intervention forces from about 2012, the new carriers will be about twice the size of the RN's current three V/STOL vessels, which can accommodate only 24 aircraft. Official estimated cost is £1.1 billion each, less aircraft, which will be operated from about 2005 by the new Joint Force 2000, combining current RN Sea Harrier F/A.2 and RAF Harrier GR.7 elements. For their planned FCBA replacement from 2010, the SDR states that the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter, in which the UK has a 20% concept demonstration interest, "remains a strong contender."

MoD-funded studies by BAe, however, of a navalized Eurofighter equipped for short takeoffs but arrested recovery (STOBAR), or other alternatives such as the F/A-18E/F or Rafale M, raise the question of whether Joint Force 2000 will continue its STOVL roles or become a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) unit. In addition to the USMC's fan-lift and vectored-thrust-equipped STOVL JSF, in which the RN has hitherto been interested for its Staff Target (Sea) 6464 requirement for some 60 FCBAs, the proposed new British carriers, with a bow ramp and deck arrester-gear, could possibly open-up alternative UK procurement prospects for the USN's big-winged CTOL navalized JSF version. Whatever solution is adopted, eventual FCBA procurement could involve 100 or more new combat aircraft costing up to £7 billion.

As another high-cost item in the SDR's short-term procurement menu, acquisition of the four C-17 heavy-lift transports "or their equivalent" has reached an advanced stage, with the first RAF personnel already starting training in the U.S. Although Boeing is making intensive efforts to reduce current C-17 fly-away unit costs to below $200 million, RAF preference is clearly emerging for commercial lease operation.

The C-17s would probably operate from the RAF's main strategic transport base at Brize Norton, Oxon, and the SDR commits longer-term funding to replacement of the UK's remaining 30 or so Lockheed C-130Ks, for which it says "the proposed Future Large Aircraft is a contender." Bids will be invited, adds the SDR, "to meet the short-term and long-term air transport requirements in parallel competitions. We will also be inviting requests for information for a new tanker aircraft for air-to-air refueling," to replace the RAF's aging BAe VC10 and Lockheed TriStar force.

Of the current main UK military aerospace procurement projects, the SDR endorses full continuation of plans to acquire 232 Eurofighters, described as "the cornerstone of RAF future equipment programs," for service from 2004. These will be armed with ASRAAM and BVRAAM short- and beyond-visual-range air combat missiles, although the RAF will apparently buy Raytheon AMRAAMs as initial interim medium-range EF 2000 armament, pending BVRAAM deliveries from 2008.

Other associated missile programs, including MATRA BAeD Storm Shadow ASM and GEC-Marconi's Brimstone anti-tank missile, remain unchanged.

With these new weapons from 2001, and a continuing mid-life upgrade, the RAF's Tornado GR.4/4A force will receive rapid deployment packs and a collision warning system for at least another 20 years of service. Studies have already started for GR.4 replacement through the Future Offensive System program, which will examine cruise missiles and remotely-piloted/unmanned air vehicles, as well as manned aircraft solutions. Some 400 short- and medium-range UAVs are also planned for battlefield intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), for combat and peace operations, through joint programs with the United States.

Among the few definite SDR procurement cuts are reductions in the RN's nuclear-deterrent Trident ballistic missile acquisitions from 65 to 58, with fewer than 200 instead of 300 operational warheads. The RN will also lose its planned second batch of 10 to 12 EH101 Merlin HM.1 anti-submarine helicopters after initial deliveries of 44. Another 10 Westland Lynx HAS.3s will be upgraded to HAS.8s for some Type 23 frigates instead, to a new total of 60.

By John Fricker