Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the value of the (a) Reaper, (b) Chinook, (c) Merlin, (d) Puma, (e) Sea King, (f) Apache, (g) Lynx Mk7, (h) Lynx Mk9/9a, (i) Gazelle, (j) Islander, (k) BAE 146, (l) BAE 125, (m) Vigilant, (n) Viking, (o) Lynx Mk8, (p) Lynx Mk3, (q) Rivet Joint, (r) Sentry, (s) Augusta, (t) Griffin HAR2 and (u) F-35 aircraft fleets.
Kevan Jones: What is my hon. Friend’s view on how the GoCo will work not for new contracts, but existing contracts such as the F-35, which is a joint contract with the United States and other partners? Does she think that the United States, or other partners, will have a view on a GoCo somehow taking control of that contract?
Kevan Jones: ...had with the Treasury about what was an urgent operational requirement. Although he is correct to say that some vehicles were procured under that system, many things were not and those had to be funded from the main equipment budget. [Interruption.] It is painful, as the Minister says. I never experienced the Treasury’s being sympathetic or understanding that process. Although on...
Alison Seabeck: It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Amess, albeit as substitute, but substitutes are always welcome. I had begun to talk about the Ministry of Defence’s interest in selling the Defence Support Group and the consultation that started in August this year, which was designed to ensure that there were no ongoing conflicts with regard to the intellectual property used by DSG in carrying...
Philip Dunne: The helmet mounted display system (HMDS) is still within the development test phase. The HMDS design is undergoing flight testing, and where necessary will be improved to meet all mandated design and performance specifications for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35's Distributed Aperture System streams real-time imagery from cameras mounted at positions around the aircraft to the HMDS,...
Philip Dunne: Weapons trials are an ongoing element of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development test programme. The weapons trials programme for the partner nations is on track. To date there has been no live explosive armament testing. Only inert armaments have been released.
Philip Dunne: The recent report of cracking in the bulkhead of the F-35B is in relation to a test model specimen, which is not part of the active F-35B fleet. This model is being used to assess the airframe's fatigue life. The cause of this crack is under investigation by the US, with full UK engagement, and has no short or medium term impact on the UK fleet. A repair solution will be developed once the...
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft Main Gate 4 decision.
Philip Dunne: The F-35B will be able to conduct air to air refuelling activity with in-service UK strategic air refuelling assets, whether embarked on the Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier or operating from land. Additionally, UK aircraft will be able to utilise Partner Nations' air refuelling assets which have been cleared by the F-35 Programme.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters purchased thus far will form a part of the 48 ordered to date.
Philip Dunne: Delivery of the F-35 programme in terms of performance, time and cost remains under continuous assessment as part of the Ministry of Defence's ongoing process of assurance. Overall, the F-35 programme continues to make steady progress. The development Flight Test programme is on target and in August 2013, the F-35B underwent a successful second set of carrier trials aboard the USS Wasp. The...
Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence does not issue details of its cost estimates ahead of contractual negotiations, as this disclosure would prejudice its commercial interests. The UK has full access to US data on maintenance as well as conducting its own independent reviews and estimates in support of financial planning. At this relatively early stage of the programme, the support solution for the F-35...
Philip Dunne: The National Audit Office Major Project Report 2012 provides the total approved cost for the UK F-35 as £2,716 million and the forecast cost as £2,344 million. The Major Project Report 2013 is due to be published in the near future and will provide the next update on UK F-35 costs. The incremental nature of the F-35 approvals means that the total cost of the programme is updated after each...
Philip Dunne: There is no single software specification for the F-35 Programme. The Joint Strike Fighter contract specification allows the aircraft designers to identify appropriate standards and then justify and agree their selection with the US Government. To date, there have been no specific problems with the aircraft design in terms of software specification.
Philip Dunne: An independent programme review from the US Department of Defense's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation occurs annually. The issues identified in the last report (2012) were well known and are being actively resolved by the Joint Strike Fighter programme. The 2013 report has yet to be formally issued by the US. Overall the F-35 programme continues to make steady progress. The UK...
Philip Dunne: The In Service Date for the UK's F-35 Lightning II Aircraft is scheduled for 2018.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK's F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will be equipped to carry the B-61 nuclear bomb.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests NATO has received from the US Government in relation to Alliance funding for the integration of the B-61 nuclear bomb onto the F-35.
Philip Dunne: The F-35 jet engine, which is also known as the F135, as a whole unit cannot be transported by any of the Ministry of Defence's rotary wing assets. The F-35 engine is typically broken down into smaller modules for transportation. The heaviest module is the engine power module which a Chinook aircraft is capable of carrying as an underslung load to deliver it to the Queen Elizabeth class carrier.
Crispin Blunt: My hon. Friend, in his usual perspicacious way, has identified precisely what I am moving on to, but before I finish on the wider cyber-security issue, I want to recognise the contribution made by the noble Lady, Baroness Neville-Jones in pulling this strategy together and much improving our country’s response. No strategy, however, is incapable of improvement and the Government still...