§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made by his Department in implementing each of the decisions of the NATO Defence Capabilities Initiative. [11454]
§ Mr. HoonI am pleased by the progress achieved by NATO in improving military capabilities in line with the 59 Decisions of the Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI), although I acknowledge that much still remains to be done.
A number of DC1 Decisions propose action for the Alliance as a whole, rather than for individual nations. Often these address standards and procedures rather than specific capabilities. The UK is working with Allies and the NATO International Staffs to achieve success in these areas.
The UK's own DCI performance has been relatively strong. It compares well with the Alliance average and reflects capability enhancements such as the introduction 567W of the C17 strategic transport aircraft, the acquisition of a greater sealift capability and development and procurement of new precision guided munitions.