§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the purpose was of the exercise held in Poland earlier this year involving FA2 Sea Harriers from 801 Naval Air Squadron; how the FA2 performed against MiG29 aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [86443]
§ Mr. IngramThe purpose of exercise Lone Kestrel was to promote understanding between two nations with emerging military links as part of the NATO exchange programme. This programme seeks to enhance interoperability between NATO units in order to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Alliance.
The Sea Harrier FA2 flew a variety of missions with Polish aircraft. Its performance was commensurate with the high standards of operations expected from the United Kingdom Forces and 801 Squadron gained valuable training from the exercise.
I cannot go into specific details on how the Sea Harrier FA2 performed against the MiG 29 aircraft during Exercise Lone Kestrel and am withholding this information under Exemptions 1a and 1b of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information which relates to defence.