Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his answer of 3 December,Official Report, column 88, on future defence equipment, he will state the types of main battle tanks, armoured infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces, combat aircraft, and attack helicopters that he plans to deploy by 1995.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe types of equipment covered by my answer of 3 December at column88 are:
Equipment AIFV Certain variants of Warrior Artillery pieces MLRS, 155 mm AS90 (replacing M109), 155 mm FH70 and 105 mm Light Gun Combat aircraft Canberra, Harrier, Jaguar, Tornado ADV and Tornado IDS Attack helicopters Lynx/TOW, Lynx/LBH, Gazelle and Scout By 1995 our plans envisage the deployment of variants of Chieftain, Challenger 1 and Challenger 2.
Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the number and type of transport helicopter, anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-tank missile systems and transport vehicles currently deployed with the Army and the Royal Air Force.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe RAF currently deploys the following transport helicopters:
545W
Number Gazelle 29 Chinook 32 Wessex 50 Puma 42 Army Lynx, Gazelle and Scout helicopters also serve in a transport role as necessary.
There are three air defence missile systems, Blowpipe, Javelin and Rapier, currently in service with regular and TA air defence regiments and the RAF regiment. There are three anti-tank missile systems, Milan, Swingfire and TOW, in service with the Army, the first with all regular infantry and Ghurka battalions, and TA infantry battalions committed to NATO roles; the second with regular medium reconnaissance regiments; the third with the Army Air Corps.
Both services employ large and varied fleets of transport and logistic vehicles, the numbers for which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.