Bernard Jenkin
Conservative, North Essex
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 15 December 2009, Official Report, columns 801-05, on future defence programme, and to the written ministerial statement of 15 December 2009, Official Report, columns 99-100WS, on future rotary wing strategy, how many helicopters of each type are in service in each service; what the out-of-service dates of each type of helicopter are; and what the in-service dates and numbers are for new helicopters his Department expects to procure by 2020.
Bill Rammell
Minister of State (Armed Forces), Ministry of Defence
"In service" has been taken to mean the effective fleet, which includes all aircraft barring those that are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal.
The number of effective aircraft within each helicopter type with each service, with accompanying planned out of service dates (OSD) as at
| Royal Navy | |||
| Aircraft type/mark | MOD effective fleet | Current planned OSD | Comments |
| Lynx Mk3 | 28 | 2017 | (1)It is expected that these aircraft will be replaced by the maritime variant of Wildcat from 2015. |
| Lynx Mk-8 | 33 | 2018 | (1)- |
| Merlin Mk1 | 42 | 2029 | We are currently preparing to upgrade 30 of these aircraft through the Merlin Mk1 Capability Sustainment Programme for which funding is approved. Further Mk 1 may be modified to deliver Airborne Search and Control capabilities subject to the Defence Review and investment approval. |
| Sea King Mk4 | 37 | 2016 | Investment is required to achieve this OSD for which Main Gate approval is being sought in the next few months. |
| Sea King Mk6c | 5 | 2010 | - |
| Sea King Mk5 | 15 | 2016 | The Search and Rescue capability provided by these aircraft will, subject to investment decision, be replaced by a joint PFI service with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. |
| Sea King Mk 7 | 13 | 2016 | Investment is required to achieve this OSD for which Main Gate approval is being sought in the next few months. |
| (1) Indicates brace | |||
| Army | |||
| Aircraft type/mark | MOD effective fleet | Current planned OSD | Comments |
| Apache | 67 | 2030 | We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft (e.g. to address obsolescence and meet emerging requirements) during the next decade, in order to sustain its service life up to 2030. |
| Gazelle | 39 | 2018 | Gazelle currently provides a training capability in support of the British Army Training Unit in Canada (BATUS). We are currently exploring alternative arrangements to deliver a BATUS capability based on leased aircraft. |
| Lynx Mk7 | 66 | 2015 | (1)It is expected that these aircraft will be replaced by the battlefield variant of Wildcat from 2014. |
| Lynx Mk-9 | 22 | 2018 | (1)- |
| (1 )Indicates brace | |||
| Royal Air Force | |||
| Aircraft type/mark | MOD effective fleet | Current planned OSD | Comments |
| Chinook Mk2 | 32 | 2040 | (1)2 Mk 2 aircraft lost in current conflict reducing Mk2/2A fleet to 38. We expect to have to invest further in the next decade in the remaining aircraft to address obsolescence, to meet emerging requirements and to ensure they can achieve the planned OSD of 2040, although no investment decisions have yet been made. These figures exclude the eight Chinook Mk3 currently undergoing reversion. The first of these aircraft is already in service and it is expected that the remaining 7 Mk3 will be operational by the end of 2010. The OSD for these aircraft will be 2040. |
| Chinook Mk2a | 6 | 2040 | (1)- |
| Merlin Mk3 | 22 | 2030 | (1)We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft (e.g. to address obsolescence and meet emerging requirements) during the next decade, in order to sustain its service life up to 2030. |
| Merlin Mk3a | 6 | 2030 | (1)- |
| Puma | 34 | 2025 | - |
| Sea King Mk3/3a | 25 | 2016 | The Search and Rescue capability provided by these aircraft will be replaced by a joint PFI service with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. |
| (1) Indicates brace | |||
These figures do not include aircraft leased by the MOD.
The adoption of the Future Rotary Wing Strategy, announced by the Secretary of State for Defence on
We are procuring 22 additional Chinook by 2020, increasing the fleet size to 70 and subject to the Defence Review and individual investment approval the Merlin Mk3/3a fleet is due to switch from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy. Further Merlin Mk1 may potentially be modified to deliver Airborne Search and Control capabilities.
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