Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most senior aide is set to overhaul the way the Ministry of Defence (MOD) spends billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, according to The Times newspaper.
The report claims that Dominic Cummings, regarded as a key architect of the Prime Minister’s election victory, will tackle military procurement as a priority for next year.
Mr Cummings is expected to audit defence purchases and review the development of some military equipment bought at the taxpayer’s expense.
He has previously described the MOD procurement as “disastrous”.
Alleged corruption within the system and officials regarded as “mediocre” by Mr Cummings has also been criticised, whilst the acquisition of two Royal Navy aircraft carriers, costing £6.2 billion, has also been a large concern.
HMS Queen Elizabeth and the newly-commissioned HMS Prince of Wales were seen side-by-side for the first time in Portsmouth earlier this month.
The move, part of a wider foreign policy evaluation signalled by Boris Johnson to be the most significant for defence since the Cold War, is reported to be of concern for senior military officials.
Experts have suggested that delivering any reorganisation within the MOD has proven to be difficult in the past.
