§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence why he rejected the proposals of British Aerospace to fit cranes called sky hooks to the aft decks of frigates in order to launch and recover Sea Harrier jump jets; and what assessment he has made of the claim of British Aerospace that a sky hook would be able to launch two Harriers a minute and refuel a jet in less than five minutes via an umbilical line.
§ Mr. LeeWe have studied the Sky Hook concept with interest. Whilst there are attractions in having an ability to operate Sea Harriers from frigate-sized vessels, the practical problems are severe and we have not established a sufficiently strong operational requirement to justify including Sky Hook in our future plans.