§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the deployment of Italian Air Force Tornado aircraft to RAF Cottesmore in early December 1994; how many aircraft took part; which Royal Air Force unit hosted the visit; whether the visit was a NATO-sponsored unit exchange; how many low-level sorties were undertaken by the aircraft during the deployment, and at what minimum permitted altitudes; how many of these sorties included use of the Spadeadam range; and what breaches of flying regulations have been354W reported in respect of flying by the aircraft involved in the deployment.
§ Mr. SoamesEight Italian Air Force Tornado aircraft were deployed to RAF Cottesmore, which hosted the visit, from 5 to 9 December; the purpose was to utilise the electronic warfare tactics range at RAF Spadeadam and carry out low-flying training within the United Kingdom low-flying system. The deployment was not part of a NATO squadron exchange. A total of 19 low-level sorties were flown, 11 of which involved the use of the Spadeadam range; the authorised minimum separation distance for each sortie was 500ft. There have been no reported breaches of flying regulations.