§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
How, in the Western European Union context, is "strategic airlift" defined; and whether Britain's or the Western European Union's possible requirement for it is now defined by them so as to exclude the European Future Large Aircraft.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley)The Western European Union does not use a definition of "strategic airlift", but defines strategic mobility as "the capacity and capability to move forces and associated logistic support in a timely and effective manner over continental and inter-continental distances, centrally co-ordinated, using civilian and/or military means of transport not organically belonging to such forces". Neither this definition, nor that used by the UK, which also concentrates on the movement of assets between theatres, excludes the role that aircraft of the class of the Future Large Aircraft would have in moving standard loads.