§ Mr. Strawasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current order position in respect of the European fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonNo European fighter aircraft have as yet been ordered. In October 1986 my right hon. Friend signed the general memorandum of understanding for the programme with his fellow Defence Ministers from Germany, Italy and Spain. The international project definition phase ended in September 1986 and the nations are currently evaluating the outcome, with a view to deciding whether to proceed to full development, which is currently planned to begin later this year. In the meantime industry is continuing to work on risk-reducing activities with the aim of refining the design of the aircraft and engines.