UK remains committed to A400M aircraft

A government response to the Commons defence committee has said the UK remains committed to the delayed A400M aircraft but "not at any cost".

The report stated that defence expenditure figures are yet to be finalised but are expected to be around £6.9bn in 2007/2008 compared with £6.7bn in 2007/2008.

Having already announced the outcome of an equipment examination in late 2008, the government stated its ongoing commitment to invest in new programmes both in the short and long term.

In February, the defence committee report urged the government to abandon the A400M transport plane due to prolonged delays.

In response, the government said it is "currently considering all potential outcomes," taking into account supporting actions from partner nations.

The report also noted the military transport plane will not be in service until 2014, despite the project already running 3 to 4 years late.

The government said a number of options were being considered due to the delay, including an extension to the C-130K fleet and leasing or procuring the C-17 and C-130J facility.

The report added: "The costs, benefits and timescales of each of the potential options form part of wider analysis work."