HC Deb 10 January 1995 vol 252 cc106-7W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many telephone kiosks appear on the list of approved features for use as simulated targets for low-level toss or dive attack.

Mr. Soames

None.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are taken into consideration when reviewing the suitability of a particular feature for inclusion on the list of approved mock targets for toss or dive attack.

Mr. Soames

Features are carefully selected taking into account the location of nearby habitation, environmental and flight safety factors and their similarity to targets which might be encountered during operational sorties. Targets are surveyed by the RAF police before inclusion on the list.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the total number of simulated attack passes carried out during the recent incident involving Royal Air Force Tornados at Gollinglithfoot, Yorkshire; how many attack runs were made by each aircraft; what was the precise time of the incident; what type of exercise the planes were engaged in; and who authorised the exercise;

(2) how many of the simulated attack runs carried out by Tornados from RAF Bruggen on a telephone kiosk in Gollinglithfoot were (a) toss attacks, (b) dive attacks and (c) level pass attacks.

Mr. Soames

Five Tornado aircraft each flew a single reconnaissance profile, similar to a level pass attack, between 1020 and 1038 hours on 28 June; a further five Tornados each flew a single reconnaissance profile between 1520 and 1535 that day. No toss or dive attacks were made. This activity was part of an exercise intended to evaluate the performance of squadron aircrew which was authorised by the Officer Commanding No. 31 Squadron RAF Bruggen.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the particular aspects of toss and dive attacks which limit them to specifically authorised features; and to what extent similar considerations are applied to level pass attacks.

Mr. Soames

To enhance deconfliction during toss and dive attacks, targets are allocated from an approved list to a single aircraft at a time. A level pass attack does not differ significantly from normal low-level flight, and no additional deconfliction arrangements are necessary.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions to Royal Air Force aircrew concerning the desirability of selecting(a) features in villages and (b) buildings likely to be inhabited, as mock targets, were in force at the time of the incident at Gollinglithfoot, Yorkshire; and what changes have been made to these instructions since the incident.

Mr. Soames

Aircrews are instructed that when choosing any type of simulated target, they and authorising officers are to satisfy themselves that the briefed flight profile can be completed safely without infringing low flying regulations or airspace restrictions. Targets are to be selected with consideration for nearby habitation. Repetitive overflight of targets is prohibited unless essential to achieve training objectives, but no single location is to be overflown more than twice per aircraft during each sortie. These instructions were in force on 28 June when the activity occurred at Gollinglithfoot. No subsequent changes have been made.