§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Type 45 destroyers his Department estimates would normally be needed to protect a future aircraft carrier in a war zone. [139593]
§ Mr. IngramI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 May 2003,Official Report, column 152W.
§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Type 45 destroyers would be capable of continuous deployment in cycles based upon the purchase of(a) nine, (b) 10, (c) 11 and (d) 12 such vessels. [139594]
§ Mr. IngramThe Royal Navy does not seek to maintain continuous deployments of individual ship types, the only exception being the Vanguard class submarine. Instead, we aim to balance capability across the fleet against current and potential tasks. The modern 1279W Type 45 destroyers will have increased availability and improved capability beyond that of the Type 42s that they are due to replace.