UK Defence is moving towards greater visibility of support costs, but there is still no universal adoption of Whole Life Cost (WLC) modelling. Advocates argue it’s no longer a “nice to have” but a mission-critical decision support tool, essential for avoiding false economies, improving availability, and aligning with NATO allies.
Yet critics point out barriers: poor data quality, lack of integration between systems, skills shortages, and cultural resistance. With budgets under intense pressure, some question whether the investment needed to make WLC truly effective is realistic in practice.
Questions for debate:
- Should WLC modelling be made mandatory across all defence programmes, not just business cases?
- Is the UK MOD ready — in terms of data, skills, and tools — to make WLC a routine part of decision-making?
- Do the benefits (better readiness, smarter investment, stronger supplier negotiations) outweigh the cost and complexity of doing it properly?
- Could WLC be the bridge that finally aligns Defence’s short-term affordability focus with its long-term sustainment needs?
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