European Fighter Aircraft (Hansard, 13 July 1992)

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with the United States of America on alternatives to the European fighter aircraft; and how many jobs in the aircraft-building industries he expects to be created or preserved in the United Kingdom as a consequence.

§ Mr. Aitken
In the light of Germany's decision not to proceed with production of the European fighter aircraft, the first priority is to consider the implications for the programme jointly with Spain and Italy. The Government hope that it will not be necessary to fall back on alternatives. However, before final decisions are taken on the production of EFA, we will, as a matter of course, examine all the alternatives to ensure that the Royal Air Force operational requirement is met in the most cost-effective way.

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the estimated cost of the European fighter aircraft programme prior to the German withdrawal; what estimate he has made of the cost consequence of the Germany withdrawal; and how this is calculated.

§ Mr. Aitken
The United Kingdom's share of the four nation EFA programme is estimated at £11.7 billion. The German Government have said that they do not intend to proceed with production of EFA but will continue to honour their obligation to complete the development phase. We are now discussing with the other EFA partners—Italy and Spain—the implications of the German decision. The cost of any revised programme will depend on the arrangements eventually agreed.

§ Mr. Jenkin
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alternatives to the European fighter aircraft have been considered; and what are the direct cash implications.

§ Mr. Aitken
A range of possible alternatives has been considered. The US F22 would offer better performance than EFA in the air defence role, but would not meet the RAF's requirement for a ground attack capability and is estimated to be up to three times more expensive. The US F16 and Swedish Gripen are cheaper than EFA; but have a much inferior capability. The French Rafale and developments of the US F14, F15 and F18 also fall short of the RAF requirement in significant respects, while being no cheaper—and in some cases significantly more expensive.