The delivery of two new aircraft carriers commissioned by the Royal Navy could be delayed because of a failure to restructure the industrial sector, MPs have warned.
Members of the House of Commons' defence select committee, publishing their report on the defence industrial strategy (DIS), say that a "damaging capability gap" will develop if further delays are experienced.
They say the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) insistence that the contractors restructure their industry is justified but warn that the DIS will fail if it is not adequately funded.
"Industry in both the surface ship and submarine sectors must realise that their failure to come together to restructure is delaying the orders they want to see," committee chairman James Arbuthnot commented.
"If we do not see real progress in 2007, there is a risk that the future carriers will be late, leaving the Royal Navy without a carrier strike capability."
Responding to today's report, defence minister Lord Drayson said: "We will be responding formally in due course, but I am pleased that the [committee] supports many of the key approaches we are following as part of the DIS. We continue to work hard to see the DIS implemented in full."
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