§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his Department originally determined the total procurement buy for the RAF of the European fighter aircraft;
(2) what are the implications of the recently announced reductions in frontline RAF combat aircraft for the total procurement buy of the Eurofighter 2000 for the RAF.
§ Mr. AitkenA decision on the number of Eurofighter 2000 aircraft to be procured for the RAF is not required until 1995. However, for planning purposes, we have assumed—and declared to our partners—an offtake of 250 aircraft, with deliveries commencing in 2000.
§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Air Force combat aircraft types are due to be replaced by the Eurofighter 2000.
§ Mr. HanleyOur current plan is to procure 250 Eurofighter 2000s to replace RAF Tornado F3s and Jaguars. The scope for replacing other RAF aircraft by the Eurofighter 2000 remains under consideration.
§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what slippage has occurred in the expected initial delivery date of the Eurofighter 2000 to the RAF since the inception of the programme; and what are the cost implications.
§ Mr. AitkenThe initial delivery date of the Eurofighter 2000 to the RAF has slipped by some two years from that envisaged at the start of development. Most of this results from the decision which the four partner nations took in December 1992 to delay the commitment to production. The cost implications of this delay will depend on the outcome of negotiations with industry on the necessary contract changes.