HC Deb 14 January 1975 vol 884 cc169-70
9. Mr. James Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he last attended a meeting of Eurogroup in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on equipment standardisation in NATO.

Mr. Mason

As I told the House in the recent defence debate, the question of standardisation and increased collaboration on equipment was one of the main topics of discussion at the Eurogroup and NATO Defence Planning Committee ministerial meetings which I attended in Brussels last month. There was general agreement that work in this important field should be pressed forward with vigour. I personally hope to be able to play a useful part as Chairman of the Eurogroup during the coming year.

Mr. Johnson

I congratulate my right hon. Friend upon becoming Chairman of the Eurogroup. Is he aware that my interest has to do with aviation? Is it correct that the F104 is due for replacement? In the light of that, will he comment about standardisation?

Mr. Mason

The Belgians, Danes, Dutch and Norwegians are looking for an F104 replacement. If it can be agreed, and if the choice is one aircraft, it will be a valuable step towards standardisation. But I have already informed them that if they fail to find one aircraft that will satisfy them in the dual rôle that they want it to perform, the Anglo-French Jaguar could satisfy one rôle. I have let them know that in Eurogroup. If they fail to find one aircraft for the dual rôle, I hope that the Anglo-French Jaguar will be considered.

Mr. Goodhart

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in a recent major exercise more than half the aircraft theoretically destroyed were shot down by their own side because of the incompatibility of aircraft recognition systems within the NATO Alliance? What is being done to end that deplorable state of affairs?

Mr. Mason

What the hon. Gentleman has said was correct. It is one of the values of the NATO Defence Planning Committee that it can release such information, in spite of the fact that its members may have felt at the time that it might do them harm. What happened shows the need, and makes the case, for pressing forward for standardisation. Studies are taking place to see whether we can have better aircraft recognition systems and communication systems to obviate that danger.