Brown blocks plans for 'Blair Force One' jet

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Cuts bring Air Force's VIP fleet down to earth

Gordon Brown is blocking controversial plans to commission an £80m "Blair Force One" airliner for use by the Prime Minister and senior members of the Government.

Senior figures within Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence and the RAF want to buy a specially adapted Airbus A-330 to replace the ageing VC-10s that have carried prime ministers and royalty across the globe for decades.

Supporters of the plan, which is bound to trigger comparisons with the US President's Air Force One, believe that in the wake of 11 September Mr Blair and the rest of the Cabinet should have access to a high-security airliner for trips abroad. However, the Chancellor is concerned about the extra cost and Treasury officials believe that chartering commercial planes would offer better value for money despite their lower military protection.

Political and VIP use of the VC-10 fleet was quietly phased out on 1 December last year after Treasury cuts, forcing Mr Blair to charter a Boeing 777 from British Airways instead for all his long-haul trips. The change in policy took effect in the middle of Mr Blair's whirlwind diplomacy after 11 September. It meant that the Prime Minister could not use the military aircraft for his visit to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan in January.

Although the VC-10 lacked modern communications, it was armour-plated, staffed by military pilots and equipped to send out chaff to confuse incoming missiles or radar.

Under the MoD plans, an £80m Airbus A-330 would be bought and fitted with similar protection and made available for the Cabinet and the Royal Family. The Treasury is determined to block the idea since Buckingham Palace said it would not make use of the new aircraft and preferred cheaper charters. "We are sceptical about it and so is the Royal Household. Charters would be cheaper and we could use the RAF on an ad-hoc basis," a Treasury source said.