HC Deb 10 June 1964 vol 696 cc423-4
16. Commander Courtney

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what differences exist between the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force staff requirements for the Wessex Mark V and the Wessex Mark II helicopters, respectively; and whether it is intended to standardise on a single type of helicopter for use by all services in the commando-carrying rôle.

Mr. Thorneycroft

For practical purposes the two helicopters are the same except that the Mark V is equipped to operate from ships in the assault or antisubmarine rôle. In other rôles they can be, and are, operated side by side.

Commander Courtney

Is my right hon.Friend aware that Wessex Mark II helicopters often have to land on naval commando aircraft carriers but that at the same time there may be slight difficulties about their being struck below and that they cannot be properly maintained on the flight decks of the carriers?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I will examine the point that my hon. and gallant Friend has made. So far as I know, there is no difficulty in operating these helicopters, cither off the ship or the land. Anyone who has had the opportunity of seeing what is going on in Borneo would know that they are, in fact, operating in the same rôles and side by side and very well together.

Mr. G. R. Howard

Would my right hon. Friend, while looking at that point, agree that where we have a Mark V helicopter which has a folding tail unit and can therefore be struck down below, this is obviously far better, because the type of helicopter required for commando-carrying and for the Air Force is exactly the same, and it might be difficult to do rotor tolerance maintenance on the flight deck? Will my right hon. Friend have a serious look at this to see if we cannot standardise these two types?

Mr. Thorneycroft

That is a perfectly good point and I am all in favour of standardising between the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. I do not think that anyone would suggest that we should try to modify all the existing ones, but the point I am making is that they are, in fact, operating in the same rôles at the present time. I will bear these points in mind.