THE Ministry of Defence wrote off nearly £2billion last year, we can reveal.
It lost the eye-watering sum due to axed projects, training accidents, missing equipment and accountancy wrangles.
The biggest hole in its 2024/2025 accounts was £735million to axe the Army’s Watchkeeper drones.
The unmanned surveillance aircraft have been dogged by technical problems and at least eight were destroyed in training flight crashes.
And a fire which gutted a nuclear subs shipyard is set to cost £217million for repairs.
Police are still probing the BAE Systems shipyard blaze in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in 2024 but Russian sabotage has been ruled out.
Four Dreadnought nuclear subs are being built there to replace our Vanguard fleet.
The yard was shut for two months.
Meanwhile, the early retirement of the RAF’s 17 Puma helicopters cost £37million.
Scrapping three Royal Navy ships — including frigate HMS Northumberland — added another £495million.
And £1million was lost due to miscalculations on how much VAT should be reclaimed.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “The MoD needs stronger controls, better management and real accountability.”
An MoD spokesman said: “Our work includes better supporting our Armed Forces by replacing kit which is no longer fit for purpose.”
