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Air Accidents Investigation Branch

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each occasion in the last 10 years in which the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been involved in the investigation of military accidents. [133995]

Mr. Spellar: The list of all accidents, since 1990, involving RAF aircraft, but excluding those lost in conflict, where the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have assisted in the subsequent investigation is as follows.

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 29W

Accidents involving RAF aircraft, excluding those list in conflict, where the AAIB assisted in the subsequent investigation

Date	Aircraft	Location
30 April 1990	Phantom FGR2 XV402	RAF Valley
30 April 1990	Shackleton AEW2 WR965	Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides
30 April 1990	Tornado GR1 ZA 454	22nm NE Goose Bay, Canada
9 May 1990	Hawk T1 XX347	RAF Valley
27 June 1990	Canberra E15 WH972	RAF Kinloss
14 August 1990	2 x Tornado GR1 ZA545 and ZA564	N Sea, 10nm NE Spurn Head
16 August 1990	Tornado GR1 ZA561	N Sea, 10nm NE Spurn Head
12 September 1990	Jaguar GR1A XZ387	Solway Firth
17 October 1990	Harrier GR5 ZD355	32nm NW Karup, Denmark
13 November 1990	Jaguar GR1A XX754	Saudi Arabia
7 December 1990	Wessex HC2 XR519	RAF Shawbury
13 January 1991	Tornado GR1 ZD718	Oman, Gulf of Arabia
18 March 1991	Canberra T4 WJ877	RAF Wyton
1 May 1991	Gazelle HT2 XZ940	RAF Tern Hill
10 May 1991	Tornado GR1 ZA367	20nm N Bremen, Germany
29 May 1991	Harrier GR7 ZG473	6nm SE RAF Gutersloh
24 June 1991	Puma HC1 XW 215	N Sea 20nm SE RAF Manston
11 September 1991	Hurricane 2C LF363	RAF Wittering
30 September 1991	Harrier GR5 ZD412	RAF Gutersloh, Germany
15 October 1991	Chinook HC1 ZA675	RAF Odiham
30 October 1991	Phantom FGR2 XV421	South Atlantic, near Falklands
12 May 1992	Tucano T1 ZF316	11nm SE Lossiemouth
14 May 1992	Harrier GR3 XZ990	RAF Wittering
9 July 1992	Buccaneer S2B XN976	N Sea, 38nm E RAF Leuchars
7 August 1992	Harrier GR5 ZD350	RAF Wittering
22 September 1992	Sea King HAR3 XZ593	65nm SW RAF Brawdy
16 October 1992	Bulldog T1 XX513	15nm E Belfast
26 November 1992	Puma HC1 XW233	Bessbrook Mill, NI
27 May 1993	Hercules C3 XC193	Scottish Highlands
28 June 1993	Harrier GR7 ZD430	5nm SW Heckington, Lincs
1 July 1993	Hawk T1 XX163	RAF Valley
12 August 1993	Wessex HC2 XR524	Llyn Padern, Gwenydd
26 August 1993	Chipmunk T10 WP980	RAF St. Athan
21 October 1993	Tornado F3 ZE858	Stainmore, Cumbria
23 November 1993	Harrier GR7 ZD432	Sirensk, Northern Iraq
14 January 1994	Harrier GR7 ZD349	5nm SE of Evesham
2 June 1994	Chinook HC2 ZD576	Mull of Kintyre
7 June 1994	Tornado F3 ZE809	N Sea, 45nm NE Scarborough
8 July 1994	Tornado F3 ZH558	Mediterranean Sea
19 July 1994	Tornado GR1 ZA368	Moray Firth
1 September 1994	Tornado GR1 ZG708	Glen Ogle, Scotland
19 September 1994	Tornado GR1 ZG725	Capa Frasca, Sardinia
10 March 1995	Tornado F3 ZE789	N Sea 20nm SE Spurn Head
16 May 1995	Nimrod R1 ZW666	Moray Firth
1 June 1995	Harrier GR7 ZG475	Irish Sea 3nm SE Burrow Head
21 June 1995	Jaguar GR1A XZ373	Adriatic Sea, 21nm N Bari
2 September 1995	Nimrod MR2P XV239	Toronto Waterfront, Canada
30 October 1995	2 x Tornado F3 ZE733 and ZE210	N Sea, 50nm E RAF Leuchars
10 January 1996	2 x Tornado F3 ZE862 and ZE166	8nm W RAF Coningsby
11 January 1996	Tornado GR1 ZE846	5nm SW Munster, Germany
23 January 1996	Jaguar GR1 XX733	RAF Coltishall
13 February 1996	Hawk T1 XX164	RAF Valley
19 February 1996	Harrier GR7 ZG476	4nm SE RAF Wittering
26 February 1996	Tornado GR1 ZD845	9nm SE RAF Laarbruch, Germany
13 May 1996	Tucano T1 ZF270	4nm W Great Driffield
18 September 1996	Jaguar T2A XX143	RAF Lossiemouth
9 January 1997	Harrier GR7 ZD377	RAF Laarbruch
15 February 1997	Puma HC1 XW225	Steingarten, Germany
19 May 1997	Harrier GR7 ZD400	RAF Wittering
3 June 1997	Harrier GR7 ZG861	3nm SW Castle Douglas
21 July 1997	Bulldog T1 XX710	RAF Woodvale
31 October 1997	Harrier GR7 ZD324	½NW RAF Wittering
30 April 1998	Hawk T1 XX186	Irish Sea, 20nm W RAF Valley
18 December 1998	Harrier GR7 ZD434	Barnard Castle
29 January 1999	Harrier GR7 ZG856	Nellis Air Force base, Nevada
4 February 1999	Harrier GR7 ZD326	7nm E RAF Laarbruch
5 March 1999	Bulldog T1 XX666	RAF Leuchars
11 June 1999	Hercules C130 XV298	Kukes Airfield, Albania
9 July 1999	Harrier GR7 ZD345	5m SW Boston
14 July 1999	Harrier GR7 ZG532	6nm E Coldstream
14 October 1999	Tornado GR1 ZD809	1½nm SE Kirkheaton
20 October 1999	Jaguar GR1 XZ381	Moray Firth
22 October 1999	Hawk T1 XX193	Shap, 10nm S Penrith
17 November 1999	Tornado F3 ZE830	1½nm SE Torness power station
25 November 1999	Chinook HC2 ZA704	10 nm S Seeb, Oman
19 April 2000	Puma XW207	RAF Catterick

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 31W

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 31W

Formation Communications System

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in the procurement of the Formation Communications System. [132176]

Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 32W

Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Robert Key, dated 23 October 2000:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence as to what progress has been made in the procurement of the Formation Communication System. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 33W

The Formation Communication System is now known as project 'FALCON'. The Procurement Strategy was revised in 2000 to take account of Smart Procurement principles and is to purchase the FALCON equipment in successive increments, enabling the best value for money and the most up-to-date technology to be acquired for the armed forces. Invitations To Tender for a competitive Concept Phase to study the most appropriate technology and procurement options for the early FALCON trances were issued to six UK-based companies on 3 July 2000. Five responses were received. These have been assessed and it is intended to place four contracts later this year in order to study a range of different approaches to meeting the requirement.

Modernising Defence Initiative

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Modernising Defence initiative. [132177]

Mr. Hoon: Modernising Defence is not a single initiative; the term covers a number of areas of work where we are improving the management of defence.

This work builds on the modernisation and reshaping of our armed forces set out in the Strategic Defence Review. We are introducing a new Performance Management system, implementing Resource Accounting and Budgeting and conducting a review of our defence training needs.

Modernising Defence also includes the work of five project groups that were formed in the Ministry of Defence to seek ideas for ways to improve our policy formulation, to address the needs of our people, to explore ways for the Ministry of Defence to work more closely with other Government Departments, and other public sector bodies, to look at our information needs, and more generally to examine what people need to help them do their jobs. These groups have now made their recommendations, and these have been agreed by the Defence Management Board who have set in hand an action plan for implementation. The plan includes the formation of an External Relations Unit to act as a Gateway between Ministry of Defence and other Government Departments and regional bodies and the appointment of a new Director General for Information to draw together an Information Strategy for the Ministry of Defence.

Software Programmable Radios

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to procure software programmable radios. [132179]

Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Robert Key, dated 23 October 2000:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the procurement of software programmable radios. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.

There are currently no plans to procure software programmable radios. Such technology is promising, but is not considered ready for implementation in UK programmes. In view of its potential, however, the MOD is investing in the underlying technology, through its Applied Research Programme.

23 Oct 2000 : Column: 34W

MRAV Programme

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the MRAV programme; and if he will make a statement. [133836]

Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Robert Key, dated 23 October 2000:

I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV). This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.

A bilateral UK/German firm price contract for the development of MRAV was placed with the industrial consortium ARTEC GmbH on 5 November 1999, since when satisfactory progress has been made. So far there have been four programme milestones, covering ballistic plate trials, delivery of initial build standard documentation, delivery of management plans and acceptance of ergonomic mock ups. All four milestones were achieved on time.

MRAV will be procured through the quadrilateral Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).

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