The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has confirmed predicted increases in defence spending over the next few years and reiterated defence commitments already made, in the UK government's 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).
Presenting the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and the outcome of the CSR to the House of Commons on 9 October, Darling said the review, which began in 2005, "continues the longest period of sustained real increases in Ministry of Defence (MoD) expenditure in almost three decades" by providing for 1.5 per cent average annual real growth over the three years up to 2010-11.
The review repeated the commitment to purchase: two new aircraft carriers for the UK Royal Navy under the future carrier programme (CVF); protected vehicles for the army; and further air transport capability for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the form of the Airbus Military A400M and other transport aircraft.
