Former UK defense minister throws weight behind Green Paper

September 7th, 2009 | DSEI 2009 | Posted by Tom Kington

Former UK defense minister John Hutton has thrown his weight behind a planned autumn defense Green Paper, which he believes will offer invaluable insight into the UK’s use of fast track procurements for forces in Afghanistan.

In a speech to defense and industry officials in London, which he released for publication, Hutton said he “welcomed” the chance for a “radical and imaginative” paper on reforming defense acquisition in the run up to a planned UK Strategic Defense Review, the first since 1998.

“We need to better understand the long term implications of the Urgent Operational Requirement process for the country’s defence budget going forward. That is why it is important there needs to be a full and proper analysis in the Green Paper of what has worked well and what hasn’t,” said Hutton, who unexpectedly resigned in June.

“Above all, we should always aim to keep the UOR process as simple as possible. We should not be averse to using off the shelf solutions where necessary as these can help reduce costs, create fewer bottlenecks, reduce time to delivery and create greater commonality with our allies,” he said.

“The challenge is to find the way to incorporate the many positive features of UORs into the long term equipment programme whilst avoiding the risk that we try and make UORs look more and more like the long term equipment programme itself.”

Retired Gen. Sir Jack Deverell, a former Commander in Chief of NATO Allied Forces North, warned that UORs could create as well as solve problems.

“The Green paper should see where UORs are creating problems downstream in terms of through life cost, through life maintenance and integration. Complex integration tends to be sidelined,” said Deverell on the sidelines on the conference.

Gerald Howarth, an opposition Conservative MP and shadow defense minister accused the UK government of launching the Green Paper to conceal its inertia in defense planning ahead of next year’s general election.

“They should have done this years ago. It is clearly a panic measure in the dying days of the government. I am not in the least bit hopeful it will produce valuable work,” he said.

Hutton said that regular Strategic Defense Reviews should be henceforth undertaken regularly.

“Our armed forces have some of the best equipment in the world at their disposal. But it also clear that more thinking needs to be done in over such matters such as strategic air lift, UAVs, armoured fighting vehicles, and network capabilities,” he said.

Tags: Green Paper, procurement, UK, UOR

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