Iraq: No-fly Zones (Hansard, 20 February 2003)

HL Deb 20 February 2003 vol 644 cc196-7WA 196WA

§ Lord Hardy of Wath
asked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions in the past three months Iraq anti-aircraft facilities have locked on or otherwise presented serious threat to Royal Air Force aircraft engaged in legitimate duty within the no-fly zone over both the north and south of Iraq. [HL1411]
197WA

§ Lord Bach
Threats to coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones in Iraq include anti-aircraft artillery and/or surface-to-air missile fire, and acquisition by radar.
We do not hold separate threat figures for individual nations' aircraft; they are recorded for the coalition as a whole.
Between 1 November 2002 and 10 February 2003 Iraqi air defence systems threatened coalition aircraft conducting patrols of the no-fly zones on 120 occasions–24 in the north and 96 in the south.