§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cost of transporting two Tornados to the Falklands by(a) Antonov 124 and (b) C-17; what assessment he has made of the cost of using the (i) Antonov 124 and (ii) C-17 in operations in Afghanistan; and how many times the Antonov 124 has been leased by the RAF since the operational use of C-17s began. [32146]
§ Mr. IngramA full assessment has been made of the transportation of Tornado aircraft from the UK to the Falkland Islands. This included options for air-to-air refuelling, airlift charter, ship and C-17. Given all of the constraints, the C-17 was deemed to be the most suitable operational option and the one that gave the best value for money and best value for effort.
Until mid-January 2002, the threat assessment presented by surface-to-air missiles, specifically to identifiable military aircraft, limited our use of RAF aircraft operating into Afghanistan. The use of civilian Antonovs was less restricted. We therefore, chartered Antonovs for the essential operational movement of vehicles, equipment and supplies. While the C-17 is now being used for airlift to Afghanistan, the size of the task necessitates the continued charter of Antonov aircraft.
The Antonov has been chartered by MOD on 35 occasions since the delivery of the C-17 in May 2001. All of the tasks have been in support of operations. The C-17 601W has been used extensively for Operation Bessimer in Macedonia, Exercise Saif Sareea II and other operational tasks associated with Operation Veritas.
It is not, therefore, a question of a simple cost comparison between the use of C-17 or Antonovs. Both were needed to support operations.