WHAT COST THE WAR ON TERROR
May 7, 2009 10:27 AM
Nick recently questioned the Government on how much it is spending on intelligence gathering. The reply provided by Quentin Davies MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Defence Equipment & Support was not altogether encouraging:
'The expenditure on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets since 1997 is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
'Our future plans include a number of programmes which contribute to intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability. For example, the Helix programme for airborne electronic surveillance; Dabinett for management of the direction, processing and dissemination of intelligence and for deep and persistent surveillance; and the Watchkeeper tactical unmanned aerial vehicle system. There are also programmes to invest further in Electronic Warfare systems and surveillance systems such as Sentry E-3D UK Airborne Early Warning capability and the Sea King Mk 7 Airborne Surveillance and Control variant.'
Say Nick, 'All these programmes mentioned are high end procurement projects and not to have a handle on overall costs is impermissible - it also makes it very difficult to gauge long term security costs when it comes to the war on terror.'
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