The early retirement of the Sentry AEW1 fleet earlier in 2021 is one of the issues that the Defence Committee is going to be examining in its wider look at the MoD's aviation procurement plans. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The United Kingdom parliament is to investigate the aviation procurement plans of the Ministry of Defence, with particular focus on the loss of aircraft types and numbers that were recently announced.
The House of Commons Defence Committee disclosed on 21 March that it is to examine the MoD's aviation procurement plans, looking at the recent reductions, while at the same time as looking at proposals for future capabilities such as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the New Medium Helicopter (NMH).
“We are standing at a critical juncture in our history. War is raging in Europe and investment in defence procurement is now more important than ever. This inquiry will assess our aviation capabilities and ask whether we are future-proofing our fleet. The early retirement of some aircraft raises the possibility of gaps in our capability in the years ahead and there is continued uncertainty around the MoD's intention to purchase additional F35-B Lightning fighter jets. We look forward to exploring these issues in our inquiry,” the Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, said.
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