§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Certain Fury exercise scenario permits or precludes the firing of nuclear weapons;
(2) whether exercise Spearpoint will involve the possible firing of any nuclear weapon;
(3) whether exercise Cold Fire will involve any aircraft in a simulated drop of a nuclear weapon;
(4) whether RAF Tornado, Jaguar and Buccaneer aircraft will have a nuclear role in the Cold Fire exercise;
169W(5) whether the scenario for the allied forces central Europe Cold Fire air force exercise permits or precludes commanders from requesting the release of nuclear weapons;
(6) whether the scenario for exercise Spearpoint permits or precludes army and air force commanders to request the release of nuclear weapons:
(7) whether commanders in any North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercise this autumn will be permitted to request the release of ground-launched cruise missiles or Pershing II missiles;
(8) whether Pershing II missiles in Europe will be exercised as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's autumn exercise;
(9) whether ground-launched cruise missiles in Europe will be exercised as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's autumn exercise;
(10) whether the scenarios for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercises Lion Heart, Spearpoint, Roaring Lion, Speedy Hedgehog, or Cold Fire permit Blue Force commanders first use of nuclear or chemical weapons;
(11) whether any Royal Artillery units will exercise their nuclear shells in exercise Spearpoint;
(12) whether any Territorial Army artillery units will have a nuclear role in exercise Spearpoint;
(13) whether Lance nuclear missiles will be included in exercise Spearpoint.
§ Mr. LeeI understand there is no nuclear phase in any of the exercises listed by the hon. Member, nor in any NATO field training exercise this autumn. Where appropriate, allied forces will practise routine precautions for operating in a contaminated environment following nuclear or chemical attack. Roaring Lion, Speedy Hedgehog and Certain Fury are, however, the responsibility of the Belgian, German and United States authorities respectively. Other exercises in NATO's Autumn Forge series are similarly the responsibility of the nation which sponsors them. There are no chemical weapons declared to NATO.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the scenarios for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercises Lion Heart, Spearpoint, Roaring Lion, Speedy Hedgehog, or Cold Fire permit Orange Force commanders first use of nuclear or chemical weapons.
§ Mr. LeeI understand that there will be no simulated nuclear or chemical attacks by Orange Forces in any of these exercises. However, Roaring Lion and Speedy Hedgehog are the responsibility of the Belgian and German authorities respectively.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the United States Army North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercise Certain Fury will be carried out according to air land battle doctrine;
(2) whether any units of the United States Army VII Corps will exercise in Certain Fury according to air land battle doctrine.
§ Mr. LeeI refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. McCartney) on 24 July, at column 597.
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§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States exercise Display Determination will use air land battle doctrine.
§ Mr. LeeDisplay Determination is a NATO exercise, and when participating in NATO exercises, all NATO forces operate in accordance with NATO operational plans which are not based on the United States army air land battle doctrine.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the planning differences between operation Lionheart and operation Crusader regarding the civil defence components.