Stop the Navy rot

SIR – The new aircraft carriers have ships’ companies that are smaller than those on the old Invincible class, with only some 1,300 men and women needed to man both ships. The ships were in the Ministry of Defence’s planned programme and presumably sufficient manpower and monetary provision were built into the plan.

So why the claims (Letters, October 10) that the carrier programme is causing the Mod’s financial woes and has distorted naval manpower? The £90 billion Typhoon programme remains the largest MOD spender in the last financial year and makes the carriers look great value for money.

The Falklands conflict showed that without strike carriers providing vital air cover, amphibious operations cannot be conducted in many parts of the world.

The real reason for the financial crisis in defence is that the future MOD equipment programme has not been properly funded and depends on efficiency savings that cannot be found. In addition, the cost of purchasing US equipment is escalating as the value of the pound falls.

Britain’s military capability is being hollowed out at an alarming rate and the only way to stop the rot is an injection of extra funding.

Admiral Lord West of Spithead London SW1