§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many, and what kind of, strike aircraft were redirected from combat air patrols to offensive operations as a result of the deployment of the HMS Invincible Task Group to the Kosovo theatre of operations. [98564]
§ Mr. Hoon[holding answer 30 November 1999]: The Sea Harriers based aboard HMS Invincible conducted 102 combat air patrols. As a result, it was possible for multi-role aircraft which might otherwise have been tasked with such duties to be switched to alternative missions. Given the size and complexity of the operation, however, it is not possible to quantify precisely how many aircraft and planned missions were directly affected in this way.