The Ministry of Defence plans to replace the Royal Navy's current strength of three aircraft carriers with two larger, more versatile carriers capable of carrying a more powerful force, including new aircraft to replace the Harrier. This report analyses the progress of the Future Carrier and related Joint Combat Aircraft programmes. There is a serious risk that the two carriers will not enter service in 2012 and 2015 as planned, due to delays in investment decision-making. The novel 'Alliance' between MoD and three commercial companies has not yet been finalised. Delays are already impacting UK shipyards, and threatening jobs and the survival of the yards.The Joint Strike Fighter, a US-led programme, is the aircraft of choice for the new carriers, but there are unresolved weight problems. The target In-Service Date has been put back from 2012 to 2014, so it is possible that the new carrier would be operational (in 2012) before the new aircraft is available. There must be adequate assurances that the UK will have access to all the relevant technology (the 'Sovereign Capability') to enable maintenance and upgrading of new aircraft. Otherwise, the UK should consider withdrawing from the Fighter programme.

The mission of the MoD's (Ministry of Defence's) Defence Equipment and Support (DE & S) organisation is to equip and support our Armed Forces for operations now and in the future. Support to current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has taken priority and the organisation has performed well. The Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) system remains highly effective in enabling vital equipment to be provided quickly to the two theatres to meet rapidly changing threats, but there are concerns that UORs represent a partial failure to equip our forces for predicted expeditionary operations, and on their effects on the core budget in future years. DE & S' performance in procuring longer-term equipment declined significantly in 2007-08. The forecast costs for the 20 largest defence projects increased by £205 million and the forecast delays increased by some 100 months in the year. The improvements promised by both the long-standing application of the principles of 'smart procurement' and the more recent formation of the DE & S organisation appear not to have materialised. The FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) programme has been a fiasco, being poorly conceived and managed from the outset. The Committee condemns the failure to date to publish an updated version of the Defence Industrial Strategy and considers that its continuing absence increases the risk that the UK Defence Industrial Base will not be able to meet the future requirements of our Armed Forces. Finally, the UK's future military capability depends on the investment made today in Research and Development. Sufficient funding for defence research needs to be ring-fenced and the MoD must recognise the very high priority of research and reverse the recent cut in research spending.

The defence industrial strategy published in December 2005 (Command paper Cm. 6697, ISBN 0101669720). Its aim was to provide greater transparency on the UK's future defence requirements and to set out those industrial capabilities the UK needs to maintain appropriate sovereignty and operate equipment independently. The Committee praises the production of the strategy to a tight timetable and with wide consultation. The strategy has been well received by industry. In the future there will be more focus on upgrading and maintaining platforms rather than designing and building new equipment. The Committee wants the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to continue improvements in the procurement process, and to give more information about future requirements. Investment in research and technology needs to increase, or the result will be lower quality defence equipment. The MoD also needs to develop a greater understanding of the vital role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the supply chain. Competitive procurement will not always be possible in some areas, where there is only a single company with the capacity and capability to deliver the MoD's requirements. The Committee expresses concerns about the planned use of long-term partnering arrangements, seeing the risk of possible monopoly supply and lack of access of other companies to sub-contract work.

Control of the air is the foundation for all conventional military operations against an adversary with an air defence capability. In future warfare, will it be possible for Unmanned Combat Air Systems to undertake the tasks and accept most of the risks that, until now, have been the lot of military aviators?

This new history of the Royal Navy, published to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of the White Ensign Association, is a full and exciting account of all the many campaigns, operations and deployments conducted around the world from the Cold War and the Cod Wars to the Falklands War and the Gulf Wars. It has been written and compiled from privileged access to secret and confidential Admiralty Plans and Commanding Officers' reports and contains a wealth of previously unpublished material. The story of how the Royal Navy has adapted to meet the many new challenges of the modern world and how it has carried out its vital roles from manning the nation's strategic nuclear deterrent to guarding the vital offshore oil and gas facilities as well as protecting Britain's worldwide interests is a truly fascinating one, while the development of ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons, tactics and strategies as well as the changes in personnel and life at sea are brought to life by contributions from people who served over the period. Profusely illustrated throughout with many previously unpublished photographs and paintings, this beautifully-produced volume is a magnificent golden jubilee tribute to the Royal Navy.

Published each year since 1959, The Military Balance is an indispensable reference to the capabilities of armed forces across the globe. It will be of interest to anyone interested in security and military issues and is regularly consulted by academia, media, armed forces, the private sector and government. Key Elements: 1. Data on the military organisations, equipment inventories and defence budgets of 171 countries 2. Analysis of major developments affecting defence policy and procurement, and defence economics, arranged region-by-region. 3. Key trends in the land, sea and air domains, and in cyberspace 4. Selected defence procurement programmes, arranged region-by-region 5. Full-colour graphics including maps and illustrations 6. Extensive explanatory notes and references 7. The hardcopy edition is accompanied by a full-colour wall chart Features in the 2021 edition include: - Analytical texts on future maritime competition, battle management systems, China’s civil-military integration and fractures in the arms-control environment - Military cyber capabilities - Analysis of developments in defence policy, military capability and defence economics and industry for China, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Russia, Senegal and the United States. - A wallchart illustrating global submarine holdings and key trends in subsurface warfare

Keith Hartley uses examples from most of the world�s significant aerospace industries, especially across the USA, UK and Europe. The emphasis on political economy reflects the continuing influence of government on the fortunes of the industry. He prese