{"id":39161,"date":"2020-01-24T17:55:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T17:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/24\/british-defence-ministry-reveals-why-a-drone-program-now-costs-245m-extra\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:08:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:08:54","slug":"british-defence-ministry-reveals-why-a-drone-program-now-costs-245m-extra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2020\/01\/24\/british-defence-ministry-reveals-why-a-drone-program-now-costs-245m-extra\/","title":{"rendered":"British Defence Ministry reveals why a drone program now costs $427M extra"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the cost increase to Britain\u2019s Protector acquisition program. The program is said to now cost an extra \u00a3325 million, with \u00a3187 million of that attributed to a delivery delay.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LONDON \u2014 The British Defence Ministry\u2019s top civilian has identified in a letter to lawmakers the reasons why a drone acquisition program has experienced a near 40 percent hike in costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Defence decided to delay by two years the delivery of 16 General Atomic Protector RG Mk1 drones to replace the Royal Air Force\u2019s MQ-9 Reaper fleet, the letter to Parliament\u2019s Public Accounts Committee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Lovegrove, the ministry\u2019s permanent secretary, cited that decision as the main reason for the \u00a3325 million (U.S. $427 million) cost increase to the program, as \u00a3187 million of that could be attributed to the delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cost growth and time delay to the program imposed in July 2017 were outside of program tolerances but were the result of the need to ensure the affordability of the overall defence program,\u201d Lovegrove wrote in his letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MoD is currently in negotiations with the U.S. over a deal to build the first three of the 16 Protectors scheduled to be purchased for the RAF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final number of vehicles on order could eventually expand beyond 16 \u2014 subject to the MoD\u2019s fragile finances in the coming years unless defense gets a sizable increase in the Conservative government\u2019s next budget round due later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter was sent Nov. 5 but has only recently been made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lovegrove detailed further causes of the cost increase rise in the drone program, which was expected to cost \u00a3816 million when it was approved by the MoD in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\t