§ 8. Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many interceptions of unidentified or Warsaw Pact aircraft have been made by the RAF in the last 12 months to the latest available date.
§ Mr. WellbelovedThe Royal Air Force, both in the United Kingdom and in Germany, maintains a constant watch on all aircraft which without notice approach the air space which it is committed to defend, and intercepts and identifies those 1100 it wishes to check. Although it is not the practice to publish detailed statistics of such interceptions, I can say that on average they have taken place two or three times a week.
§ Mr. CartwrightWhile I appreciate my hon. Friend's reticence about numbers, may I ask whether, on the basis of the figures he has indicated, he is satisfied with the rate of interceptions? Also, is he satisfied that the RAF has the capability to intercept any aircraft that might violate our air space?
§ Mr. WellbelovedOne must draw a distinction between the United Kingdom air defence region and our sovereign air space. There have been no Soviet or Warsaw Pact penetrations of our sovereign air space, and I am satisfied that in peace time we would be able to intercept and identify any aircraft that penetrated it.
§ Mr. KershawDoes not the high figure of interceptions underline the importance of having manned aircraft, and also of having a high performance aircraft such as the Tornado, at our disposal?
§ Mr. WellbelovedThe high figures are a tribute to the professionalism of those who serve in the RAF and the superb quality of the aircraft they fly.