Today's defence related news includes coverage of the Armed Forces Day national event in Liverpool, a Sunday Express story on empty MOD homes and a report in the Sunday Times that the MOD has given Lockheed Martin a 'dressing down' over spiralling costs and delays on a contract to upgrade the Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle .
Armed Forces Day
There is widespread coverage in print, broadcast and digital media of the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Liverpool and around the country. The BBC News Channel and Radio 5 Live broadcast live from the national event in Liverpool and included interviews with the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary. The Daily Telegraph noted that the PM praised the tremendous work of the military during her visit to Liverpool. BBC and ITV News also featured reports from the event and the Liverpool Echo includes a photo gallery of the day.
Speaking at the event, the Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
Armed Forces Day is a valuable opportunity to give something back to the Armed Forces community, which works so hard to keep us safe each and every day. We have much to thank them for. In the last few years alone, our Armed Forces have fought Daesh terrorism, rescued thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and helped protect us here at home. I commend Liverpool for a spectacular event and thank organisers across the country for their efforts to mark Armed Forces Day.
Empty Homes
The Sunday Express claims that the Ministry of Defence is spending £44million a year renting empty homes across the UK. The paper quotes Meg Hillier, Labour MP and former chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, saying: “Having some vacancies for operational purposes is OK, but the high level of vacant properties the taxpayer is funding that aren’t serving the needs of the Armed Forces is a problem. Given the pressures on the defence budget, the government have got to get a grip on this issue and make it work for families and the taxpayer.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
The MOD is working to reduce the size of its estate by 30 per cent by 2040 to deliver a better estate that is fit for our forces and their families. To ensure that accommodation is available for service personnel when they apply, we retain a margin of unoccupied properties on a short term basis. The Defence estate is diverse, and we’re helping more people find a home by renting out thousands of vacant military properties.
Lockheed Martin
The Sunday Times reports that the boss of US defence giant Lockheed Martin has been given a 'dressing down' by the Ministry of Defence over spiralling costs and delays on a £1bn contract to upgrade Britain’s ageing fleet of Warriors Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
The Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle is a battle winning UK capability which we are seeking to retain in service to 2040 at the best value for the taxpayer. It would not be appropriate to comment further on commercial discussions.
Image of the day
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