§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 17 June,Official Report, column 1012, if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Air Force's covert monitoring Skyguard system.
(2) what will be the impact of the disbandment of 1339 Wing Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment on the deployment of Skyguard radars in the low-flying monitoring role.
§ Mr. HanleyThe disbandment of 1339 Wing Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment will not affect deployment of the Skyguard radar system in the low-flying monitoring role. Arrangements are being made to transfer the system to RAF Spadeadam, from where it will continue to be deployed in this role.
558W
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying aircraft have been monitored by Skyguard radar since its introduction in the low-flying monitoring role; and how many of the observed aircraft were found to be(a) breaching height regulations, (b) breaching speed regulations and (c) infringing avoidance areas laterally.
§ Mr. HanleySince June 1989 when Skyguard was first used to monitor low flying, 1,426 aircraft have been observed at medium or low level. Of these, nine were detected in apparent breach of regulations; seven in respect of height and two in respect of infringing avoidance areas laterally.