The importance of the Royal Navys future carrier programme is predicated on the governments 1998 Strategic Defence Review and later additional chapter post 9/11. Without the CV(F) programme, which the Deputy Prime Minister has labelled the governments Flagship Defence Programme, none of the governments future foreign, security and defence objectives is credible. The programmes contribution to the programme can be seen in members having been appointed Special Advisors to the House of Commons Defence Committee specifically on the programme.

CDISS has also had the privilege in organising and leading some of the most policy relevant gatherings of all the major stakeholders in the programme, at which the First Sea Lord, Second Sea Lord, Minister for Defence Procurement, the CEO of BAE SYSTEMS, the Head of the Carrier Alliance, the Leaders of the CV(F) Integrated Project Team (IPT) and the Joint Strike Fighter IPT and representatives from the FCO, the Treasury, the DTI, industry, the armed forces and regional development boards have participated. Proceedings of these events called conclaves have been widely circulated and contributed to clarifying the issues on what is the largest ship procurement programme, ever. Financial support for the programme has been provided by several interested parties since 2000.

As the CV(F) programme approaches the decision to start building (the Main Gate) the Centre will continue to monitor progress, particularly in respect of the restructuring of Britains warship building industry under the governments new Defence industrial Strategy, and also the reorganisation of military and naval procurement with the merger of the Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics Organisation.

Programme Leader - Professor Martin Edmonds

01524 221585 - medmonds@cdiss.org

CDiSS Director of Studies Martin Edmonds is a leading academic and editor of the journal Defense and Security Analysis who has enjoyed a distinguished career both in the UK and internationally. His research interests include defence critical technologies, UK defence policy, and the commercialisation of defence. His work has been published widely and among these titles are: International Arms Procurement, Defence Equation, and Central Organisations of Defence.