HC Deb 03 February 2000 vol 343 c676W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the value of walk-on equipment. [108054]

Mr. Spellar

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: I assume that the question relates to walk-on equipment which may be carried on the Chinook Mk2, such as binoculars, cameras and computers. The presence of such equipment would depend on the purpose of a particular flight and no general statement of value would be meaningful.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations in the Chinook Mk2 test were made on the use of in-flight UHF transmitters and walk-on equipment; and if they were written into the CIA release. [108053]

Mr. Spellar

[holding answer 2 February 2000]: It was recommended that, because of the vulnerability of the automatic flight system to the Ultra High Frequency band, particular care should be taken when introducing UHF on-board transmitters to the Chinook as Special Trial Fits or walk-on equipment. The Controller Aircraft Release for the Chinook Mk2 in January 1994 stipulated that no canyon-board equipment was cleared for use. No electronic equipment had been introduced to the aircraft by Special Trial Fit.

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