The strategic defence and security review and the national security strategy

Written evidence from Unite the Union

Unite welcomes the opportunity to respond to the committee inquiry and intends in this letter to address the part of the inquiry which has an impact on Unite members.

The question Unite is responding to is:

‘what capability gaps will emerge due to the SDSR, including how these were assessed as part of the development of the strategies and what impact this may have on the UK’s defence planning assumptions and the ability to adapt to changing threats or unforeseen occurrences’.

Unite has submitted written evidence previously and on a number of occasions regarding serious concerns about capability gaps, and the linkage between government’s focus on cutting defence budgets as a short term measure to try to reduce public spending and the impact this has on defence sector jobs, skills, investment in R&D, innovation and income from exports of defence products and services.

Harrier

Unite believes the decision to decommission the Harrier fleet and not to buy JSF Stoval means the UK has lost the capability, skills, knowledge and experience forever. The UK will never be in a position to build, upgrade, repair or use this type of combat aircraft. This was a combat aircraft designed and manufactured in the UK, and the investment, technology and advanced manufacturing skills will be lost forever.

Unite believes this is a shocking indictment of this government’s inability to understand what operational capability is required in the field of combat. The loss of the Harrier leaves a strategic gap until 2019 but more importantly has denied the defence sector of a product that was fit for purpose and embodied the best of UK R&D and innovation.

NIMROD

Unite is horrified that government has taken the decision to destroy the new generation of NIMROD MRA4 aircraft. This product is a victim of MoD failures to manage the product and is a victim of massive delays and cost over-runs which have been an inherent part of the problem with the MoD and the increases in defence costs. Unite is appalled that £4 billion worth of tax payers money has been so disastrously managed by the MoD. Unite has consistently stated that it is mismanagement that is the root of the problem with the defence budget.

What is also concerning is that the loss of NIMROD leaves a huge capability gap. The UK now has a nuclear deterrent which does not have the first line of defence capability that it would have had with the air to sea reconnaissance of the NIMROD fleet. These aircraft were state of the art, technologically advanced pieces of engineering and represented everything that is vital, creative and excellent about UK manufacturing and the skills, knowledge and experience of UK workers.

Unite believes the decision by government to scrap both of these defence products is purely due to cost cutting measures and has nothing to do with the strategic requirements of the armed forces. It is unfortunate that the decisions made by an inexperienced single vision government now regarding defence, will almost undoubtedly have serious capability repercussions over the next 20 years.

January 2011