HC Deb 14 February 1989 vol 147 cc129-30W
Sir Peter Hordern

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the original estimate of the cost of the Foxhunter radar system; when it was due to come into service in full; when it came into service in full; and what was the final cost on delivery.

Mr. Sainsbury

The original forecast in-service date for the Foxhunter radar was 1982. Radars to an agreed

Royal Air Force applications to leave and exits before completion of contract
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 to date
1.GD (Air) Officers:
PVR/OEP applications 314 220 161 149 148 145 188 245 281 299 222
PVR/OEP exits 200 205 172 163 160 120 160 173 177 203 227
2.Airmen:
(a) Airmen Aircrew
PVR applications See note 2(a) 10 22 44 30 48 24
PVR exits Included with ground airmen 13 2 10 11 19 17 32 31 17
Other exits 9 9 8 6 9 6 13 8 5
(b) Ground Airmen
PVR applications 3,132 1,782 1,038 842 1,115 1,669 1,752 2,097 2,005 2,483 2,404
PVR exits 1,103 1,468 1,114 854 1,069 845 1,405 1,692 1,610 1,682 1,835
Other exits Not available 897 313 242 636 527 562 574 581 404

Notes:

  1. 1. Officers:
    1. (a) PVR—Premature voluntary release on giving certain preiods of notice.
    2. (b) OEP—Optional exit points related to decisions at specified career points.
    3. (c) Applications do not necessarily lead to exits in the same financial year (FY).
    4. (d) Applications and exits related to exceptional circumstances are not available.
  2. 2. Airmen:
    1. (a) Records of airmen aircrew PVR applications are not available prior to April 1983.
    2. (b) PVR—Premature voluntary release by purchase, or to pension or by notice general right after nine years.

interim standard entered service in 1985. Final deliveries under the programme of work placed under firm price contractual arrangements with Marconi Defence Systems last year will take place in the early 1990s.

It is not normal practice to publish a detailed breakdown of costs for defence equipment. Total estimated costs of the Foxhunter radar programe were given in the 1988 "Statement on Defence Estimates (Volume 2)" as some £800 million; on the same basis, the original estimate for Foxhunter would be some £600 million.

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