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The Ministry of Defence has been slammed by MPs for “unacceptable incompetence” after sending a squadron of stealth fighters to the Gulf with half their spare parts missing.
The American F35 jets were placed on an aircraft carrier with only 12 spare kits for the 24 planes. As a result, the ministry had to send for more spares at RAF Marham before they could be used.
Details of the blunder was revealed yesterday in a letter to MPs from the department’s Permanent Secretary, Jeremy Pocklington.
He also revealed that the F35 Jets have corrosion problems from flying over the sea and as a result the RAF will have a shortage of planes until this is sorted out.
There is also a shortage of engineers for both the RAF and Royal Navy at Marham. The RAF has a 25% vacancy rate which will not be solved until 2032.
They also have an accommodation shortage. At present fighter pilots are housed in temporary buildings but new modular ones are under construction both on and off site and will not be completed until next year. There is also provision for a new hangar, welfare facilities and an independent and secure headquarters for the squadron by 2030.
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Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Conservative chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said “In an increasingly dangerous world, our military and the country need more than this half-baked approach from the MoD. Our brave fighting men and women, before being sent into potential harm’s way, must have absolute certainty that they are well-supported in their equipment, with clear and reliable supply lines.
“But this correspondence shows an entirely unacceptable incompetence that flies in the face of any kind of sensible planning from the Ministry of Defence.”
The Permanent Secretary was unable to give any details of the Defence Investment Plan – which was the subject of hostile exchanges in Parliament between Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch on Wednesday – suggesting that it is still not completed, or ready for publication.
The Ministry of Defence were contacted for comment.
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