§ 106. Commander Courtneyasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of developing a variable geometry aircraft, he will now put forward a specific military requirement for a carrier-borne aircraft incorporating this principle for eventual joint Service use.
§ Mr. HealeyNo. The heavy capital expenditure which the purchase of the Phantom will represent precludes any firm plan for its replacement to enter service before the late 1970s. It is recognised, however, that the variable geometry principle offers one of the most promising bases of design for the next20W generation of aircraft, and it is our intention that studies to support a new Naval—or joint—requirement for a replacement strike/fighter aircraft should certainly embrace this concept.