Examination of Witnesses (Questions 100
- 119)
WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2000
RT HON
GEOFFREY HOON,
MP, AIR COMMODORE
GLEN TORPY
AND MR
SIMON WEBB
Mr Hancock
100. Air Commodore, one question about the F3
capability. I read with some concern that a pilot flying an F3
has real difficulty in realising, because he has no technical
assistance, whether he is being chased by a hostile aircraft and
has to rely on visual sightings. Is that true of the F3?
(Air Commodore Torpy) No, that is not true. He does
have means in the aircraft of identifying—
101. In the aircraft?
(Air Commodore Torpy) The radar, which is possibly
illuminating him, be it a ground based radar or an airborne radar,
from there he can identify the type of aircraft.
102. Does he have on board a system which is
capable of telling him that the aircraft that is coming after
him or that is near him is a hostile aircraft or a friendly aircraft
without sight identification?
(Air Commodore Torpy) Yes, he does.
Mr Hancock: That is an interesting answer.
Mr Viggers
103. Identification friend or foe, is it?
(Air Commodore Torpy) Yes.
Mr Hancock
104. Can he identify the difference between
friend and foe by electronic means or does he have to rely on
eye contact?
(Air Commodore Torpy) No. There are electronic means
where he can identify from the radar the type of aircraft which
is illuminating him. The secondary question is the identification
friend or foe equipment. As you are aware, we are upgrading the
whole of the Tornado F3 force with the capability sustainment
package which will not only give it the ability to fire advanced
missiles, the AMRAAM and the ASRAAM, but it also improves the
identification friend or foe equipment and it also improves some
of the navigation equipment and radar performance as well.
105. I do not want to pursue this in open session
but I would like to get something in writing about that capability
and what they are dealing with at the present time.
(Air Commodore Torpy) Certainly.
(Mr Hoon) We can do that.
Chairman
106. Why was the decision taken to reduce the
number of VC10 tankers in Bahrain from two to one? Has this had
an adverse effect on our ability to participate in missions?
(Mr Hoon) I have been concerned really since my appointment
about the pressure on our people. We have talked about overstretch
in this Committee before and clearly that has affected the more
specialist areas of the armed forces more acutely. The withdrawal
of the VC10 airframe was to allow us to both minimise the impact
on the crews but equally to allow additional training and exercising
opportunities. There have been real benefits in withdrawing one
airframe in terms of ensuring the retention of the appropriate
skill levels but also simply in terms of ensuring the people affected
have more opportunities to be at home and not to be deployed.
Sorry, I probably did not answer the second point. It has not
affected us operationally to a significant extent. Since January,
since the reduction to a single VC10, we have lost only four of
the planned sorties either due to crew sickness or aircraft unserviceability.
That represents a success rate of 93 per cent and we judge that
to be acceptable.
107. If the one available was not available
for a period of a month or two months, would you fly another one
out very quickly or what alternative arrangements could be made?
(Mr Hoon) In the short term Tornados are able to use
US refuelling assets. Clearly if we thought the problem was going
to continue for any length of time then we would certainly fly
out another tanker to replace the one that was unserviceable.
There is not a short term problem because we have access to American
refuelling. If that problem was likely to continue for any time
then we would take appropriate action.
108. We were told that there is some congruence
between the Royal Air Force and the US Navy in terms of refuelling
but not with the US Air Force and the US Navy, they operate entirely
different systems. So we can match up with one of them but not
two and they cannot match up with their own. That has caused confusion
elsewhere. Are our aircraft equipped with missiles of the appropriate
type for the missions they are flying?
(Air Commodore Torpy) Both the F3 and the GR1s are
equipped with air-to-air missiles. Obviously the F3 has the primary
role and the GR1s have them for self-defence. As I mentioned earlier,
the F3s, when we deploy the aircraft which have gone through the
capability sustainment programme, will be able to carry AMRAAM
and ASRAAM as well which will increase their overall capability.
In terms of the weapons stocks, they are clearly monitored on
a daily basis, not only missiles but the bombs which are used
by the GR1s, and when stocks are depleted they are immediately
restocked.
109. So the precision guided munitions are available
at the right time?
(Air Commodore Torpy) Yes.
110. If I recall, the GR1 does not have the
problem that the GR4 has at the moment?
(Air Commodore Torpy) You are referring to the TIALD
designator?
111. Yes.
(Air Commodore Torpy) That is correct, yes.
Dr Lewis
112. Within the past few days it has been reported
that the Iraqi Defence Minister has been in Moscow for talks with
the Russian Defence Minister, having previously been in Belgrade.
The suggestion is that Russia is brokering a deal which will upgrade
the Iraqi defence systems against aircraft attack. Are you aware
of this and, if so, are you content that our air forces will be
able to meet an increased level of risk of this sort?
(Mr Hoon) I am not specifically aware of any conversations
that may or may not have taken place. I have to tell you that
they did not take us into their confidence about any such meetings.
Certainly I cannot speculate as to what effect that might or might
not have on the ability of Iraq to attack our air crew. I assure
you that I will not allow our air crew to go into a situation
where they are not able to deal with the threat that they confront
there.
Dr Lewis: Would you not agree that it
is very disturbing if, in fact, Russia, with whom our Prime Minister
is trying to build such a prosperous and beautiful-person-type
relationship on a one-to-one basis—
Chairman: I think this is outside the
scope of this question. I should not give way to Dr Lewis, I will
not do so again. Jimmy Hood.
(Mr Hoon) Talking of beautiful people.
Mr Hood
113. This is Prime Minister's Questions. Secretary
of State, are you satisfied with the basing arrangements for our
forces in the region?
(Mr Hoon) You mean the physical conditions in which
they live and operate?
114. Yes.
(Mr Hoon) No, I do not think anyone who has been there,
and I have visited, can be satisfied about the conditions. Welfare
provision is very important as far as our people are concerned
and we do want to ensure that they live in conditions that are
at least acceptable. A great deal of effort has been made in recent
times to look to ways in which we can improve the physical circumstances
in which people are living.
115. How long can we expect the arrangement
to use Muharraq airbase in Bahrain to continue?
(Mr Hoon) We will stay there for as long as there
is a requirement for us to be there, and for as long as our hosts
in Bahrain allow it. As I understand it, there is no immediate
prospect of there being any change.
116. What is your view at the moment on the
decision of the Bahrainis to relocate their ambassador in Baghdad
and whether that would have any impact on what is happening in
the region?
(Mr Hoon) Bahrain, as I understand it, has consistently
maintained diplomatic relations with Iraq, so there is no particular
change in their diplomatic arrangements with Iraq, and so it has
not been a matter upon which the Government has felt it necessary
to comment. Certainly Bahrain has continued to remain very supportive
of the operations that we conduct in the region.
117. Have you detected any weakening in their
support?
(Mr Hoon) None at all. I still have to visit Bahrain,
in fact, but I have had a number of meetings here, and Bahrain
remains a strong supporter of the action that we are taking.
118. Do you have any plans to relocate from
Kuwait to any other less exposed airbase than Ali Al Salem?
(Mr Hoon) On the contrary. As you may well be aware,
the accommodation difficulties perhaps are most acute at Ali Al
Salem. I think you have been there. I have certainly been there.
They are not conditions in which we would want people to have
to live for very long. As a result of my visit there, I made representations
to the Kuwaiti Government, and matters are in hand to improve
things. Indeed, I think some work has been done already. There
still needs to be a good deal more work to get the facilities
to the standards that are acceptable, but certainly we are very
grateful to the Kuwaiti Government for both the speed with which
they have responded and indeed the efforts that they are making
to improve the living accommodation. So the matter is in hand,
but clearly we want to get it sorted out quickly. That was very
much my reaction when I went there, and I had some fairly forthright
comments about the plumbing, shall we say.
119. Do you have any contingency plans to use
other airbases if it becomes necessary to reinforce the region
with a significant number of additional RAF aircraft?
(Mr Hoon) First of all, if reinforcement became necessary
in the short term, there is significant capacity at the existing
bases to allow us to provide reinforcement in quite a short timeframe.
Equally, there are other bases in the immediate area that could
be used should it become necessary. So obviously we give some
thought to reinforcement, but essentially I think most reinforcement
in the first place would be taken up with the capacity that exists.
Again, you have been to them. These are enormous bases, in fact,
compared to almost anything that we have in the United Kingdom.
There is certainly plenty of capacity and plenty of opportunity
to put more aircraft on the ground should it become necessary.
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