§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military threats the possession of Eurofighter aircraft is designed to combat; and what other options his Department has considered for these purposes. [3631]
§ Mr. SpellarIn an uncertain world where we face a variety of risks to British interests and where highly sophisticated combat aircraft are widely available, we need the flexible multi-role capability that Eurofighter will provide. Eurofighter will be able to contribute both to achieving air superiority and to ground attack operations. The need for both these capabilities has been demonstrated by recent operations in the Gulf and Bosnia.
The alternative aircraft considered were the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, Rafale and Gripen.