‘Hundreds of millions’ in hidden costs for fighter jets

● True cost of planes said to be £150m to cover extras such as upgrades and parts

The Ministry of Defence is facing hundreds of millions of pounds in “hidden costs” for the RAF’S new generation warplane that will be unable to fly properly due to defence cuts, it has been reported.

The Times said that it had carried out an investigation which had identified a catalogue of problems with the Usbuilt F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin has said the aircraft will cost the UK between £77 million and £100m each.

However the newspaper said the true cost of the jets delivered this year will be more than £150m each to cover “extras” such as software upgrades and spare parts.

Among the problems which the paper said it had identified were: n An inability by the “stealth” F-35 to transmit data to British ships and older aircraft without revealing its position; n The aircraft’s software system is vulnerable to cyber attack and cannot be tested independently by the UK; n Weak broadband on the Royal Navy’s principal aircraft carrier is hampering the jet’s abilities; n The department responsible for the computer networks essential to the aircraft’s oper- ation needs to find savings of £400m this year.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that all the issues raised had been reported in the past and were under “active management” by the Joint Strike Fighter joint programme office and the MOD.

It said the programme remained “wholly with its