HC Deb 31 March 1994 vol 240 cc986-7W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made regarding Eurofighter 2000.

Mr. Aitken

The first Eurofighter 2000 development aircraft, DA1, made a successful first flight from the Deutsche Aerospace flight test centre in Manching, Germany, on 27 March 1994. The flight of approximately 40 minutes duration incorporated system handling checks; and the sophisticated quadruplex digital fly-by-wire control system, necessary for this unstable configured aircraft, performed exactly as expected. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the development programme.

The second development aircraft, DA2, is expected to fly very soon at British Aerospace, Warton.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the costs of the Eurofighter 2000 are within budget.

Mr. Aitken

I can confirm that there is sufficient provision within the Ministry of Defence's forward programme for the currently estimated cost of EF2000.

Back to