How to Loose Half a Billion Without Really Trying - HARRIER Sell Off – The Mail on Sunday (no less) has revealed the MoD tried to cover up the fact that the sell off of the HARRIER  jump jets to the Americans, for a knock down price of £ 112million, came shortly after the aircraft had had a £ 600million refit.   “Secret correspondence” showed senior Defence officials knew the move was likely to prove controversial, and they urged officials to stonewall awkward questions from the media.    The deal to sell the 74 HARRIERS realised just £ 1.5 million per aircraft, despite the spending of four hundred times that amount on the recent refit of the 74 strong HARRIER fleet.      

Comment – Thus is the economics of the mad house – the aircraft had an original capital cost before refit, so even a replacement cost post refit and yet they were sold not even, one suspects, for scrap value – and even then a handsome consultancy fee was needed to be paid to secure the sale!     For a Government which prides itself of its business sense and acumen to have presided over such a situation, and which has since justified its actions must seriously question their ability to make any valid decision on almost anything!!