Mr. Ronald W. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions United Kingdom air space has been violated by unidentified aircraft since May 1979; if the United Kingdom air defence system was scrambled; and what identification of such intruders was made.
§ Mr. PattieNo unidentified aircraft have violated United Kingdom territorial air space in the period in question. Soviet military aircraft do, however, regularly fly into the United Kingdom air defence region and are usually intercepted by Phantoms or Lightnings of the United Kingdom quick reaction alert force. There were on average five such interceptions per week in 1979.