NATO/Warsaw Pact (Tactical Aircraft Capacity)

HC Deb 11 March 1988 vol 129 cc363-4W

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing (a) the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's total tactical aircraft capacity and that of the Warsaw pact and (b) the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's tactical aircraft capability devoted to the European theatre and that of the Warsaw pact.

Mr. Ian Stewart

The Statement on the Defence Estimates 1987 (figure 13 of annex A) shows the balance of NATO and Warsaw pact tactical aircraft in Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals. For these purposes, tactical aircraft are defined as including reconnaissance aircraft, fighters, fighter bombers, light bombers and air defence aircraft. It is the imbalance of NATO and Warsaw pact conventional forces in Europe that is of direct concern to NATO, and it is not our practice to publish figures for these forces deployed worldwide.