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The cash-strapped Ministry of Defence is selling off millions of pounds of equipment at bargain basement prices to try to plug a budget deficit。 Everything from boxes of pencils to an aircraft carrier is to be cleared out in an emergency fire sale. Officials are hoping to make up a £36billion shortfall。 Among the items up for grabs are 14 Gazelle helicopters, costing around £5million which are expected to fetch around £100,000 and armoured Jaguars for VIPs which can cost up to £200,000. The MoD’s Defence Equipment & Sales website also has top-class watches which are likely to be sold for a fraction of their value。 英国防部为筹经费甩卖装备 Expensive timepieces have long been handed out to spies and undercover SAS troops working at British embassies abroad so that they could pass themselves off as well-heeled diplomats。 The “unused as new” watches do not carry an asking price but it is expected they will go for a song。 There is a Raymond Weil Tango men’s watch, advertised as “Stainless steel case, black dial with red accented hands..sapphire crystal glass”. It normally sells for £1,000. Also on offer is a ladies Crystal Dior watch – “Bezel set with 48 diamonds 0.24 carat, black lacquered dial, black rubber strap set with black sapphire crystal” – worth £4,000. A source said: “These watches were bought for SAS and defence intelligence operatives who work at our embassies abroad so that they look the part when they go to events and parties attended by diplomats and local dignitaries. It’s all part of creating the right image。” | 
