Future Aircraft Carriers (Hansard, 2 December 2002)

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what fixed wing aircraft will be used on the future aircraft carriers. [84086]

§ Dr. Moonie
The future aircraft carriers (CVF) should initially operate the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. No decision has yet been taken on how best to meet our requirement for a Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC) capability, and a range of embarked fixed wing air platforms remain under consideration.
Beyond this, it is impossible to say what fixed wing platforms might be used on CVF over its planned 50-year life. CVF will be built to an innovative and adaptable design, therefore, so that it can be modified to operate future generations of air platforms, whether or not these have STOVL characteristics.

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of manufacture of the future carriers will be carried out in the UK. [84088]

§ Dr. Moonie
In line with Government policy, the carriers will be built in United Kingdom shipyards. It is still too early in the programme to be definitive about all of the carriers' sub-systems, as many of these have not yet been selected.