§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has evaluated or received evaluations of the military implications of incorporating seven USAF B-52 bomber aircraft, based at RAF Fairford, in NATO's recent Cold Fire and Display Determination exercises conducted with the Autumn Forge programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyThe B-52 aircraft concerned were temporarily deployed to RAF Fairford for exercise purposes. My right hon. Friend did not receive, nor would he expect to receive, evaluations of the specific part played by the forces of an allied nation in these multinational NATO exercises.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he has participated in the recent intensification in planning for the redeployment of large strategic bombers in NATO's follow on force attack doctrine; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he has consulted the United States Government and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies about plans to incorporate European-based United States air force B-52 bomber aircraft into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's follow on forces attack doctrine and deployments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyFollow on force attack is a NATO long-term planning guideline aimed at improving NATO's ability to counter by conventional means one aspect of the Warsaw pact threat, namely, that posed by follow-on-forces. It is not directly concerned with NATO deployments. Responsibility for detailed operational planning within NATO is a matter for the major NATO commanders, and it is not in any case our practice to comment on such planning.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secetary of State for Defence if he has been consulted by the United States Government and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies with regard to the supplementation of existing European F111 and Tornado aircraft deployments with United States air force B52 bomber aircraft deployments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StanleyUnlike F111 and Tornado aircraft, which are based permanently in the United Kingdom in peace time, B52 aircraft deploy to the United Kingdom in peace time only temporarily for exercises in connection with562W their conventional role. Proposals for these exercise deployments are subject to the prior approval of Her Majesty's Government.