UK MoD Equipment Plan is affordable, but watchdog warns of risks
The NAO said the MoD's multi-year spending settlement gave it a good opportunity to reset the Equipment Plan. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
The National Audit Office has warned that the MoD’s 10-year Equipment Plan could be ‘over-optimistic’.
The MoD has released its 2021-2031 ten-year Equipment Plan, the first to be deemed affordable in many years; even so, the National Audit Office (NAO) warned once again of risks to affordability.
According to the Equipment Plan, the MoD plans to spend £238 billion (about $323 billion) throughout 2021-2031, a record £48 billion increase from the £190 billion previously detailed in the 2020-2030 Equipment Plan.
By April 2021, the MoD assessed the Equipment Plan to have £4.3 billion worth of headroom over the next decade compared to a £7.3 billion black hole in the previous year’s plan.
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