HC Deb 22 July 1996 vol 282 cc76-80W
Mr. David Martin

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 March to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans),Official Report, columns 648–49, what recent developments have taken place on the development of a new armoured vehicle in co-operation with France and Germany and on wider defence equipment co-operation with those two nations; and if he will make a statement. [38805]

Mr. Arbuthnot

Agreement has now been reached with France and Germany to amend tender documents to reflect the UK's requirement for a multi-role armoured vehicle. I have therefore written to my French and German colleagues confirming that we will join an international competition that is planned to lead to a tri-lateral collaborative programme to design and produce an armoured utility vehicle. I have also informed them that the UK is pleased to join the armaments co-operation agency which the two nations decided last year to set up. We will now participate in the work necessary to establish the agency.

The new armaments structure offers the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of co-operation between our countries to meet the requirements of our armed forces. It will also provide a platform for the development of a more efficient and competitive European defence industry.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane),Official Report, columns 27–28, if he will make a statement on the mission and function of the Anglo-French Army Equipment Commission. [38497]

Mr. Soames

The Anglo-French Army Equipment Commission—AFAEC—is a bilateral Army-level forum chaired at major general level. It exists to identify opportunities for co-operation, with the aim of achieving standardisation and interoperability objectives agreed by the two armies. In particular, AFAEC activity seeks to promote collaboration in the areas of research and operational analysis thus promoting cost-effective, collaborative equipment programmes.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane),Official Report, columns 27–28, if he will make a statement on the mission and function of the Anglo-French future land systems study group. [38499]

Mr. Soames

The Anglo-French future land systems study group—AFFLSSG, or Groupe Franco Britannique d'Etude de Systemes Aeroterrestres Futurs—exists to provide a mechanism for exchanges between the UK and France in the areas of land systems operational analysis, military history, and the performance of army equipment and its cost. The group's UK activities are managed by the Directorate of Science (Land), and it reports to the Anglo-French Army Equipment Commission, AFAEC. It has an active programme of work, concentrating on exchanges of information and joint symposiums and studies.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane)Official Report, columns 27–28, if he will make a statement on the mission and function of the European co-operative long-term initiative for defence. [38498]

Mr. Soames

The European co-operation for the long-term initiative for defence—EUCLID—programme operates under the auspices of the Western European Armaments Group. Its mission may be described as the co-ordination of joint research and exploratory development programmes, involving defence industries, in a number of common European priority areas, CEPAs. It functions by establishing a number of research and technology projects, RTPs, within each CEPA by multi-national industrial consortiums representing the participating nations led by a single lead industrial entity, SLIE. RTP participation is undertaken on the basis of equal Government cost shares and with the expectation that additional industrial private venture contributions will be provided by the consortiums, and is subjected to competitive bidding. Full and active participation of nations with developing defence industries is encouraged, and nations that participate in an RTP have free use of the results obtained.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July to the hon. Member for Rotherham, (Mr. MacShane)Official Report, columns 27–28, if he will name the 14 separate working groups under the Anglo-French defence research group; and if he will make a statement on the missions and functions of each. [38496]

Mr. Soames

I regret that the answer I gave on the 8 of July to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) was inaccurate in identifying 14 separate working groups when in fact there are only 13.

The 13 working groups which are responsible to the Anglo-French defence research group—AFDRG—are as follows:

  • WG01—Aeronautics
  • WG02—Human Factors
  • WG03—Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence
  • WG05—Structural Materials
  • WG07—Energetic Materials
  • WG08—Electronic Systems
  • WG09—Electronic Components
  • WG10—Nuclear Blast Effects
  • WG11—Operational Research
  • WG12—Guided Weapons
  • WG13—Directed Energy Technology
  • WG14—Land Systems
  • WG15—Naval Research.

The mission of each is to initiate, sponsor, and monitor the progress of collaborative defence in the areas stated, a co-operative activity which takes place under the auspices of the Anglo-French memorandum of understanding, MOU, on defence research of 24 October 1989.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 July to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane),Official Report, columns 27–28, if he will list where each of the 60 officers on exchange/liaison are based; and if he will make a statement on the roles and functions of each. [38495]

Mr. Soames

The following is a list of the UK/French exchange and liaison officer posts based in France and the UK.

FRENCH OFFICERS IN UK

  • FRENCH NAVY
  • Exchange Officers
    • HMS Sandown: Lt.
    • Britannia Royal Navy College Dartmouth: Lt.
    • Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) at sea (Type 42): Lt.
    • Fighter Controller (FC) at sea (aircraft Carrier): Lt. (aircraft carrier)
    • S03 G3 Plans 3 Commando Brigade RM: Capt. RM
    79
  • Project Related Posts
    • 3 Posts "Horizon" Frigate programme: 1 x Capt. (Navy)
    • 2 x Lt. Cdrs.
  • FRENCH AIR FORCE
  • Liaison Officers
    • HQ Infantry, Warminster: Lt. Col.
    • Signal school, Blandford: Lt. Col.
    • Director General Development and Doctrine
    • UPAVON: Col.
    • HQ Quarter Master General Andover: Col.
    • Army Staff College Camberley/RMAS: Lt. Col. (TA)
  • Exchange Officers
    • SO2 HQ Directorate Army Aviation, Wattisham: Capt.
    • 1RHA Tidworth: Lt.
    • RCDS/London: Col.
    • FRENCH AIR FORCE
    • Liaison Officers
    • HQ 11 Group, RAF Bentley Priory: Lt. Col.
    • Empire Test Pilot School Boscombe Down: Cdr.
    • RAF Wyton: Cdr.
  • Exchange Officers
    • Staff Post RAF Brampton: Comdt.
    • Tornado GR1A Pilot, RAF Marham: Capt.
    • Tucano Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI), RAF Linton on Ouse: Lt.
    • F3 Pilot, RAF Coningsby: Capt.
    • Hawk (Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI), RAF Valley: Capt.
    • Gazelle Qualified Helicopter Instructor (QHI), RAF Shawbury: Capt.
    • Fighter Allocator, RAF Neatishead: Capt.
    • E-3D Pilot, RAF Waddington: Capt.
    • RAF Bracknell: Lt. Col.

UK OFFICERS IN FRANCE

  • ROYAL NAVY
  • Liaison Officers (LO)
    • French Jt. Planning Staffs International Dept. Creil: Cdr.
    • Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) Officer; Paris (2 Posts): Cdr.
  • Exchange Officers
    • FNS Persee: Lt.
    • Ecole Navale, Brest: Lt.
    • Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) at sea: Lt.
    • Fighter Controller (FC) at sea: Lt.
    • 9e Dima, Nantes: Capt. RM
  • ARMY
  • Liaison Officers
    • Army Headquarters, Metz: Col.
    • SO1 Commandement de la doctrine et de l'entrainement (CBE), Metz: Lt. Col.
    • SO1 Joint Service Staff College, Paris: Lt. Col.
    • School of Infantry, Montpellier: Lt. Col.
    • Engineer School, Angers: Lt. Col.
    • Ecole de St. Cyr, Coetquidan: Lt. Col.
    • Artillery School, Draguignan: Lt. Col.
    • Armoured School, Saumur: Lt. Col.
  • Exchange Officers
    • Pilot Aviation School, Le Luc: Lt. Col./Maj.
    • 11 Airborne Div., Toulouse: Capt.
    80
  • Project Related Posts
    • Tripartite Guided Weapon Project Office, Ruiel-Malmaison: Maj.
    • Trigat Tripartite Guided Weapon: Lt. Col.
  • ROYAL AIR FORCE
  • Liaison Officers
    • HQ Strike Command, Tavernay: Sqn. Ldr.
    • Merignac, Bordeaux: Sqn. Ldr.
    • Merignac, Bordeaux: Flt. Lt.
  • Exchange Officers
    • Airborne Equipment Officer L'Armee de L'Air, Paris: Sqn. Ldr.
    • Mirage 2000 Pilot, Nancy: Flt. Lt.
    • Qualified Hying Instructor (QFI), L'Ecole de L'Air. Salon: Flt. Lt.
    • Mirage 2000 Pilot, Orange: Flt. Lt.
    • Alphajet Instructor, Cazaux: Flt. Lt.
    • Alouette Qualified Hying Instructor (QFI), Toulouse: Flt. Lt.
    • Intercept Controller, Tours: Ht. Lt.
    • E-3D Pilot, Avord: Ht. Lt.

The role of a liaison officer is to act as a link between the two organisations. The role of an exchange officer is to work alongside the national officers of the host country and to perform a specific function within the host organisation.

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