The UK’s decision to extend the life of its Nimrod spy plane for three months will cost an extra £4m ($6.6m) in support of military operations in Libya, UK Defence Procurement Minister Peter Luff said.

“The government are spending millions keeping equipment in service in Libya which they had planned to scrap in their rushed defence review,” Bloomberg quotes the minister as saying.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“It’s time for ministers to reopen the review and assess whether the current equipment programme is sufficient for the new threats the UK faces.”

The reconnaissance aircraft, which was due to be grounded on 1 April 2011, will remain in use until the end of June this year.

The delayed retirement of two C-130K Hercules transport planes and the frigate HMS Cumberland, has cost the UK government £15,000 and £575,000 respectively.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact