§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to retain the skilled workforce at Woodford between the development and production phases of the Nimrod MRA4 through the commissioning of lead items. [188148]
§ Mr. IngramI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 May 2004,Official Report, column 667W.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the upgrade of the Nimrod R1 aircraft, how many aircraft are involved; when the work is due(a) to begin and (b) to be completed; what the life span of the upgraded aircraft will be; and if he will make a statement. [188150]
§ Mr. IngramUnder Project Helix the mission systems on the RAF's three Nimrod R1 aircraft are due to be upgraded, together with associated ground stations and training facilities. The assessment phase for the project began in April 2004 and the demonstration and manufacture phase is planned to start in 2007. The full project is due to be completed in 2018 at an estimated total cost of over £400 million (VAT inclusive).
Under current plans the Nimrod R1 will have a service life well into this century.