§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now estimates that all 11 Nimrod AEW Mk III aircraft will be in service.
§ Mr. ButlerAs I told my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 30 April at column126, we are still investigating various options for the further work necessary to bring the project to completion. Until a way forward has been agreed it is not possible to predict when all 11 Nimrod AEW Mk III aircraft will be in service. Our best judgment at the moment, however, is that an operational AEW capability for the Nimrod could be achieved in 1987.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence how much the programme to equip the Royal Air Force with the Mk III AEW Nimrod has cost to date; and what he estimates the cost will be by the time all 11 aircraft are in service.
§ Mr. ButlerBy the end of 1984, some —816 million (at current prices) had been spent or committed on the Nimrod AEW project. We are currently assessing various options for bringing the project to completion. Final costs will depend on the option selected.