The head of the UK's largest surface warship builder has warned that continued competition for warship orders, along with a lack of long-term coherency in the Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) equipment programme, could threaten the UK's naval industrial base. This comes on top of concerns that planned reductions in the fleet and cuts to upgrade and overhaul programmes will hurt the industry. Speaking at RUSI's Maritime Power in the 21st Century conference, Vic Emery, head of Glasgow-based BAE Systems Naval Ships, said that UK industry's ability to deliver "was critically poised" and called for the creation of a "strategic partnership" between industry and government to safeguard warship-building capability and capacity.
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