§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation his Department has made of the Harrier II plus programme; and for what reasons he has proceeded with an upgrade of the Harrier GR7 to GR9 specification rather than capabilities offered by Harrier II plus. [66031]
324W
§ Mr. IngramAs I made clear in my answer on 28 February 2002,Official Report, columns 1451–52W to the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer), the Harrier GR7 is being upgraded to GR9 standard as this best meets our capability requirements. The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a formal evaluation of the capabilities offered by the Harrier II plus programme, but understands that the main capability difference between the Harrier GR9 and the Harrier II plus is in the latter's nose-mounted radar.
While it would, in theory, be possible to mount a radar in the nose of the GR9, we currently have no requirement to do so. Therefore, no detailed work has been undertaken by the MOD into the practicality and cost-effectiveness of such a modification.
Such a programme would be at least as complex, lengthy and costly as the Sea Harrier Blue Vixen/ AMRAAM update in the mid-90s. Given the likely considerable cost, time scale and technical risk involved, and the planned entry into service of the Future Joint Combat Aircraft in 2012, the benefits of integrating a radar on to the GR9 Harrier would be of limited duration and utility. Such a programme would also delay the integration of the smart weapons on to the Harrier GR9 required to enable it to continue to conduct its primary role of the delivery of offensive air power from land and sea.