Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names, dates and locations of all low-flying exercises conducted in each year since 1979, advance notice of which was given to hon. Members in affected constituencies.
§ Mr. FreemanAccording to our records, since 1979, advance notice of the following exercises have been given to hon. Members, parts of whose constituencies were likely to see a temporary increase in low-flying activity. Central records are no longer held for exercises before 1986 and it is therefore not possible to determine the location of all such exercises, without disproportionate effort.
918W
Exercise name Exercise dates 1979 Tapper Blow 10 15–18 January Boulmer Mineval 24–25 January Chelsea Fortune 24–25 February Alconbury Readiness Exercise 21–23 February Weekend Flying 7 April Cloudy Chorus 79 24–25 April Priory 1/79 5–6 June Tristar 28–29 June Hammer Blow 11–12, 14–15, 18–22, 25–26, 28–29 June Double Top 20–22 June Flv Request 5–8 June High Wood 2–13 June OSEX 1 31 July–3 August Hammer Blow 14 21–22 August Alconbury Readiness Exercise 8–16 August Paradrop 23 September Cold Fire 17–21 September Trial Ecology 17–28 September Maple Flag 17–28 September Coningsby Station Exercise 18–20 September Priory 2/79 15–17 October Bentwaters Readiness Exercise 22 October–2 November Greek Pilgrim 27–30 November Hammer Blow 17 21 November Blue Four 27–28 November Red Flag 12 November–21 December Hammer Blow 18 19–21 December Trial Dame 17–21 December 1980 Red Flag 7–25 January Boulmer Mineval 12–13 February Blue Four 14–15 February Blue Four 29 February–4 March FACEX 30 17–19 March Cavalcade 80/2 26 March Maple Flag 10–28 March and 8–16 April Green Lanyard 9–11 April Elder Forest 15–16 April OSEX 2 31 March–3 April Trial Mace 9–23 April Greek Cottontail 15–17 April Tigerhead 28 April–4 May Ardent Ground 20–22 May Greek Cottontail 6 May Double Top 80 12–21 May Mallet Blow 10–13 June FACEX 3 7–8 June Wattisham Taceval 24–25 June Cavalcade 80/3 10–13 June 919W
Exercise name Exercise dates Cavalcade 80/4 18 June Priory 1–80 15–16 July Double Top 80 21–29 July Green Lanyard 30–31 August Highland Reel 4–9 August Greek Liberty 12–14 August Weekend Flying 20 September Cold Fire 80 22–26 September Highland Air 4–5 October Pegasus Trail 27 November FACEX 70 5–7 November 1981 Mallet Blow 8–16 January Creek Valor 19, 22–23 January Red Flag January—February Leuchars Taceval 3–4 March Creek Beethoven 23–26 March Lakenheath Taceval 30 March–2 April Parker 500 22–23 April Maple Flag 7 30 March–10 April Priory 1/81 13–16 April FACEX 25–26 April OSEX 25 April TA Training Weekend 9–10 May Double Top 81 13–22 May OSEX 3 5–8 May 48 TFW Flying 17–20 May Cavalcade 2 June Mallet Blow 81/2 15–19 June STC Bombing 15–19 June Competition Cloudy Chorus 25 June Pegasus Trail II 16 June UREX Lakenheath 22–26 June Lakenheath Taceval 7–11 June Alconbury Readiness 13–16 July Exercise Priory 2/81 20–22 July Coltishall Taceval 6–9 July Spring Tide Double Top 81 6–16 July OSEX 4 4–6 August 48TFW Flying 16–19 August Alconbury Taceval 8–12 September Coldfire 21–25 September Ocean Venture 1 September Priory 3/81 26–29 October Pig Party 24 November Lakenheath 24 Hour 2–5 November Flying 1982 Green Lanyard 19–24 February Mallet Blow 82/1 22–26 March Mallet Blow 82/2 28 June–2 July Navy Lanyard 16–17 July TA Training Weekend 26–27 June Priory 82/1 12–15 July Mallet Blow 82/3 4–8 October 1983 Mallet Blow 83/1 10–14 January USAFE 24 Hour Flying 17–20 January Bird Walk 5–7 February USAFE 24 Hour Flying 7–10 February Mallet Blow 83/2 11–14 April Priory 83/1 26–28 April Pegasus Trail 22–24 April Lakenheath Local Exercise 14–17 March Lakenheath Local Exercise 25–28 April Pegasus Trail 1/83 7–11 May OSEX 7 9–14 May Lakeheath Local Exercise 23–27 May Mallet Blow 83/3 4–8 July Crimson Prince 14–18 July Priory 83/2 17–21 July
Exercise name Exercise dates Salty Nation 15–18 August JMC 832 19–21 July NATO Taceval 6–9 September Winged Victory 7–15 October Neatishead Taceval 4–5 October Gryphon's Gold 30 October–9 November Staxton Wold Taceval 6–7 December Boulmer Taceval 6–7 December 1984 Mallet Blow 84/1 23–27 January Jungle Dog 6–10 January Elder Forest 84 5–7 March Mallet Blow 84/2 9–13 April Second Spring 28–29 April Taceval 30 April–2 May Falcon Strike 12–16 May Lossiemouth Taceval 19–20 May Dragon Fly 16–17 June Norse Warrior 23–24 June Central Enterprise 84 8 June OSEX9 9–12 July Mallet Blow 84/3 2–6 July Tam 84 2–3 July Vite Chute 13–15 July Northern Venture 2–5 July Pedal Bin 2–5 July 920W
Exercise Name Exercise Dates Exercise Location 1986 Mallet Blow 86/1 27–31 January Northern England/Borders Ice Maiden 14–20 February Many areas with centre on Norfolk Key Lift 86/1 1–9 March North Yorkshire Gryphon's Goblet 7 March Lincolnshire Polar Dawn II 8–9 March Norfolk Mallet Blow 86/2 7–11 April Northern England/Borders Elder Forest 86 21–24 April East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Scotland Green Lanyard 18–25 April Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain Hammer 86/1 22 April East Anglia Central Enterprise 86 6 June East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Borders Long Hop 2 30 May—3 June Many areas with centres on Salisbury Plain and Norfolk Blue Lanyard 11–13 July Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain OSEX 12 21–25 July Exmoor Tactical Fighter Meet 4–8 August Northern England/Borders Mallet Blow 86/3 4–8 August Northern England/Borders Priory 86/1 7–9 October East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Borders Mallet Blow 86/4 20–24 October Northern England/Borders Gold Wing 24–30 October Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain OSEX 13 27–31 October Yorkshire Dates Hammer 86/2 6 October Northern England/Borders Key Lift 2/86 4–12 October North Yorkshire Gryphon's Gunner 6 October Lincolnshire 1987 Quicksand 15–22 March Many areas with centre on Northumberland Polar Dawn III 7–8 March Norfolk Gryphon's Gunner 6 March Lincolnshire Key Lift 87 7–15 March North Yorkshire Mallet Blow 87/1 6–10 April Northern England/Borders Priory 87/1 13–15 April Cumbria/Lincolnshire/North East England/Eastern Scotland Ardent Ground 20 April–10 May Salisbury Plain Grand Design 25 April–17 may Salisbury Plain Hammer 87/1 19 May East Anglia/Northern England/ Southern Scotland Central Enterprise 87 1 June East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Scotland 921W
Exercise name Exercise dales JMC 842 18 June-2 July Mallet Blow 84/4 8–12 October OSEX 10 15–19 October Priory 84 23–25 October Scotadex 23–25 October 1985 Ice Axe 18–24 January Mallet Blow 85/1 28 January–1 February Swift Drop 1–3 March Priory 85/1 29 April–2 May Hardy Crab 16–22 May Feldom Moor 8–9 June Northern Warrior 8–9 June Central Enterprise 85 14 June Wild Bellerophon 15–20 June OSEX 11 15–18 July Rampant Horde 18–25 July Pedal Bin IV 15–18 July Mallet Blow 85/2 29 July–2 August Brave Defender 2–13 September Canberra Trial 30 September Gryphon's Gold 21 September–5 October Mallet Blow 85/3 24–29 October Priory 85/2 21–23 October Purple Victory 30 October–18 November Black Boy 18–22 November
Exercise Name Exercise Dates Exercise Location OSEX 14 20–24 July South West Scotland Roaring Lion 24–31 July Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain Mallet Blow 87/2 3–7 August Northern England/Borders Fast Buzzard 18–25 September Many areas with centre on Salisbury Plain Hammer 87/2 6 October Northern England/Southern Scotland Priory 87/2 13–15 October East Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/Eastern Scotland Mallet Blow 87/3 2–6 November Northern England/Borders Purple Warrior 4–21 November South West Scotland
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used in determining whether advance notice of a low-flying exercise should be given to honourable Members in affected constituencies; and whether there has been any change in these criteria since 1978.
§ Mr. FreemanThe notification of exercise activity is determined on a case-by-case basis, the main considerations being whether the exercise is expected to generate an unusual increase in local activity levels, and whether there is likely to be significant activity over weekends, public holidays, or late at night. These same criteria have been used since 1979.
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the minimum authorised heights for low-flying in the highlands restricted area for (a) Royal Air Force Tornadoes flying at night, (b) Royal Air Force Tornadoes flying in daylight, (c) United States Air Force F-111s flying at night and (d) United States Air Force F- Ills flying in daylight.
§ Mr. FreemanUnless the northern Scottish tactical training area is being used for ultra-low flying (when aircraft may be authorised to fly down to levels of 100 ft above ground level) the highlands restricted area, which is used for terrain following radar training, is subject to the same height rules as the rest of the United Kingdom low-flying system, under which aircraft may be authorised to fly down to a level of 250 ft above ground level, both in daylight hours and at night.
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy on 22 April, Official Report, column 586, if he will list the countries other than the United States of America and Canada in which exercises involving ultra-low flying by British military aircraft are held.
§ Mr. FreemanThere are no other countries in which such exercises are held.
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy on 22 April, Official Report, column 585, in what year the policy of concentrating ultra-low flying in specially designated, sparsely populated areas in the United Kingdom was introduced.
§ Mr. FreemanThe policy of concentrating ultra-low flying in specially designated, sparsely populated areas in the United Kingdom was introduced in 1979, as part of the revised United Kingdom low flying system.
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy on 22 April, Official Report, column 586,if 922W he will list the names and dates of exercises since 1974 involving ultra-low flying by British military aircraft; and if he will indicate for each exercise whether work-up training was conducted in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information could not be provided without disproportionate effort.
§ Mr. Amosasked the Secretary of State for Defence if in the light of the recent crash between two Harrier jets in Northumberland he will establish an inquiry into the safety procedures followed during Royal Air Force low-flying training exercises.
§ Mr. FreemanAn inquiry into the accident on 2 November has already been set up. When the results of this are known, they will be taken into account in our continuous monitoring of United Kingdom low-flying safety procedures.