§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the new STOVL Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. [78973]
§ Dr. MoonieWe announced on 30 September 2002 that the Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been selected to meet our Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) requirement. This decision represents a major step forward for the United Kingdom's future expeditionary air power capability, and builds on our unique and valuable knowledge of STOVL aircraft acquired during nearly four decades of operations with Harrier on land and at sea.
The announcement has also been welcomed by British industry, which is playing a key role in the JSF programme and will help ensure that the UK retains its leading position in a major area of aerospace technology. Indeed, industry estimates that its involvement could be worth up to £27 billion over the whole life of the programme, creating or securing some 8,500 jobs.